A 


AXTHOXY  HOPE  (HAWKINS) 


A 

Man  of 
Mark 


ANTHONY 
HOPE 


M-M-CALDWELL 

§§  COMPANY  i 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Page. 
The  Movement  and  the  Man 1 

CHAPTER  II. 
A  Financial  Expedient 8 

CHAPTER  III. 
An  Excess  of  Authority 20 

CHAPTER  IV. 
Overtures  from  the  Opposition 27 

CHAPTER  V. 
I  Appreciate  the  Situation 43 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Mourons  Pour  La  Patrie! 56 

CHAPTER  VII. 
The  Mine  Is  Laid...  70 


203G3I3 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Page. 
Johnny  Carr  Is  Willful 80 

CHAPTER  IX. 
A  Supper  Party 92 

CHAPTER  X. 
Two  Surprises 97 

CHAPTER  XI. 
Dividing  the  Spoils 115 

CHAPTER  XII. 
Between  Two  Fires 130 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
I  Work  Upon  Human  Nature 146 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
Farewell  to  Aureataland 158 

CHAPTER  XV. 
A  Diplomatic  Arrangement .  174 


A  MAN  OF  MARK. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  MOVEMENT  AND  THE  MAN. 

In  the  year  1884  the  Republic  of  Aureataland 
was  certainly  not  in  a  flourishing  condition.  Al- 
though most  happily  situated  (it  lies  on  the  coast 
of  South  America,  rather  to  the  north — I  mustn't 
be  more  definite),  and  gifted  with  an  extensive 
territory,  nearly  as  big  as  Yorkshire,  it  had  yet 
failed  to  make  that  material  progress  which  had 
been  hoped  by  its  founders.  It  is  true  that  the 
State  wa*s  still  in  its  infancy,  being  an  offshoot 
from  another  and  larger  realm,  and  having  ob- 
tained the  boon  of  freedom  and  self-government 
only  as  recently  as  1871,  after  a  series  of  political 
convulsions  of  a  violent  character,  which  may 
be  studied  with  advantage  in  the  well-known  his- 
tory of  "The  Making  of  Aureataland"  by  a  learned 
professor  of  the  Jeremiah  P.  Jecks  University  in 
the  United  States  of  America.  This  profound  his- 
torian is,  beyond  all  question,  accurate  in  attribut- 
ing the  chief  share  in  the  national  movement  to 


2  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

the  energy  and  ability  of  the  first  President  of 
Aureataland,  His  Excellency  President  Marcus 
W.  Whittingham,  a  native  of  Virginia.  Having 
enjoyed  a  personal  friendship  (not,  unhappily,  ex- 
tended to  public  affairs)  with  that  talented  man, 
as  will  subsequently  appear,  I  have  great  pleasure 
in  publicly  endorsing  the  professor's  eulogium. 
Not  only  did  the  President  bring  Aureataland 
into  being,  but  he  moulded  her  whole  constitu- 
tion. "It  was  his  genius"  (as  the  professor  observes 
with  propriety)  "which  was  fired  with  the  idea  of 
creating  a  truly  modern  state,  instinct  with  the 
progressive  spirit  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  race.  It 
was  his  genius  which  cast  aside  the  worn-out  tra- 
ditions of  European  dominion,  and  taught  his  fel- 
low-citizens that  they  were,  if  not  all  by  birth, 
yet  one  and  all  by  adoption,  sons  of  freedom." 
Any  mistakes  in  the  execution  of  this  fine  con- 
ception must  be  set  down  to  the  fact  that  the 
President's  great  powers  were  rather  the  happy 
gift  of  nature  than  the  result  of  culture.  To  this 
truth  he  was  himself  in  no  way  blind,  and  he 
was  accustomed  to  attribute  his  want  of  a  liberal 
education  to  the  social  ruin  brought  upon  his 
family  by  the  American  Civil  War,  and  to  the 
dislocation  thereby  produced  in  his  studies.  As 
the  President  was,  when  I  had  the  honor  of 
making  his  acquaintance  in  the  year  1880,  fifty 
years  old  if  he  was  a  day,  this  explanation  hardly 


THE  MOVEMENT  AND  THE  MAN.  3 

agrees  with  dates,  unless  it  is  to  be  supposed  that 
the  President  was  still  pursuing  his  education 
when  the  war  began,  being  then  of  the  age  of 
thirty-five  or  thereabouts. 

Starting  under  the  auspices  of  such  a  gifted 
leader,  and  imbued  with  so  noble  a  zeal  for 
progress,  Aureataland  was,  at  the  beginning  of 
her  history  as  a  nation,  the  object  of  many  fond 
and  proud  hopes.  But  in  spite  of  the  blaze  of 
glory  in  which  her  sun  had  risen  (to  be  seen  duly 
reflected  in  the  professor's  work)  her  prosperity, 
as  I  have  said,  was  not  maintained.  The  country 
was  well  suited  for  agriculture  and  grazing,  but 
the  population — a  very  queer  mixture  of  races — 
was  indolent,  and  more  given  to  keeping  holidays 
and  festivals  than  to  honest  labor.  Most  of  them 
were  unintelligent;  those  who  were  intelligent 
made  their  living  out  of  those  who  weren't,  a 
method  of  subsistence  satisfactory  to  the  indi- 
vidual, but  adding  little  to  the  aggregate  of  na- 
tional wealth.  Only  two  classes  made  fortunes 
of  any  size — Government  officials  and  bar-keepers 
— and  even  in  their  case  wealth  was  not  great, 
looked  at  by  an  English  or  American  standard. 
Production  was  slack,  invention  at  a  standstill, 
and  taxation  heavy.  I  suppose  the  President's 
talents  were  more  adapted  to  founding  a  State 
in  the  shock  and  turmoil  of  war,  than  to  the  dull 
details  of  administration;  and  although  he  was 


•  4  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

nominally  assisted  by  a  cabinet  of  three  Ministers, 
and  an  Assembly  comprising  twenty-five  mem- 
bers, it  was  on  his  shoulders  that  the  real  work 
of  Government  fell.  On  him,  therefore,  the  moral 
responsibility  must  also  rest — a  burden  the  Presi- 
dent bore  with  a  cheerfulness  and  equanimity  al- 
most amounting  to  unconsciousness. 

I  first  set  foot  in  Aureataland  in  March,  1880, 
when  I  was  landed  on  the  beach  by  a  boat  from  the 
steamer  at  the  capital  town  of  Whittingham.  I  was 
a  young  man,  entering  on  my  twenty-sixth  year, 
and  full  of  pride  at  finding  myself  at  so  early  an 
age  sent  out  to  fill  the  responsible  position  of 
manager  at  our  Aureataland  branch.  The  Direct- 
ors of  the  Bank  were  then  pursuing  what  may 
without  unfairness  be  called  an  adventurous 
policy,  and,  in  response  to  the  urgent  entreaties 
and  glowing  exhortations  of  the  President,  they 
had  decided  on  establishing  a  branch  at  Whit- 
tingham. I  commanded  a  certain  amount  of  in- 
terest on  the  Board,  inasmuch  as  the  Chairman 
owed  my  father  a  sum  of  money,  too  small  to 
mention,  but  too  large  to  pay,  and  when,  led  by 
the  youthful  itch  for  novelty,  I  applied  for  the 
post,  I  succeeded  in  obtaining  my  wish  at 
a  salary  of  a  hundred  dollars  a  month. 
I  am  sorry  to  say  that  in  the  course  of  a  later 
business  dealing  the  balance  of  obligation  shifted 
from  the  Chairman  to  my  father,  an  unhappy 


THE  MOVEMENT  AND  THE  MAN.  5 

event  which  deprived  me  of  my  hold  on  the  com- 
pany and  seriously  influenced  my  conduct  in 
later  days.  When  I  arrived  in  Aureataland  the 
bank  had  been  open  some  six  months,  under  the 
guidance  of  Mr.  Thomas  Jones,  a  steady-going 
old  clerk,  who  was  in  future  to'  act  as  chief  (and  in- 
deed only)  cashier  under  my  orders. 

I  found  Whittingham  a  pleasant  little  city  of 
about  five  thousand  inhabitants,  picturesquely 
situated  on  a  fine  bay,  at  the  spot  where  the  river 
Marcus  debouched  into  the  ocean.  The  town  was 
largely  composed  of  Government  buildings  and 
hotels,  but  there  was  a  street  of  shops  of  no  mean 
order,  and  a  handsome  square,  called  the  "Piazza 
1871,"  embellished  with  an  equestrian  statue  of  the 
President.  Round  about  this  national  monument 
were  a  large  number  of  seats,  and,  hard  by,  a 
cafe  and  bandstand.  Here,  I  soon  found,  was  the 
center  of  life  in  the  afternoons  and  evenings. 
Going  along  a  fine  avenue  of  trees  for  half  a  mile 
or  so  you  came  to  the  "Golden  House,"  the  Presi- 
dent's official  residence,  an  imposing  villa  of  white 
stone  with  a  gilt  statue  of  Aureataland,  a  female 
figure  sitting  on  a  plough-share,  and  holding  a 
sword  in  the  right  hand,  and  a  cornucopia  in  the 
left.  By  her  feet  lay  what  was  apparently  a  badly- 
planed  cannon  ball;  this,  I  learned,  was  a  nugget, 
and  from  its  presence  and  the  name  of  the  palace, 
I  gathered  that  the  President  had  once  hoped  to 


6  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

base  the  prosperity  of  his  young  Republic  on  the 
solid  foundation  of  mineral  wealth.  This  hope  had 
been  long  abandoned. 

I  have  always  hated  hotels,  so  I  lost  no  time 
in  looking  round  for  lodgings  suitable  to  my 
means,  and  was  fortunate  enough  to  obtain  a 
couple  of  rooms  in  the  house  occupied  by  a 
Catholic  priest,  Father  Jacques  Bonchretien. 
He  was  a  very  good  fellow,  and  though 
we  did  not  become  intimate,  I  could  always  rely 
on  his  courtesy  and  friendly  services.  Here  I 
lived  in  great  comfort  at  an  expense  of  fifty  dol- 
lars a  month,  and  I  soon  found  that  my  spare 
fifty  made  me  a  well-to-do  man  in  Whittingham. 
Accordingly  I  had  the  entree  of  all  the  best 
houses,  including  the  Golden  House,  and  a  very 
pleasant  little  society  we  had;  occasional  dances, 
frequent  dinners,  and  plenty  of  lawn  tennis  and 
billiards  prevented  me  feeling  the  tedium  I  had 
somewhat  feared,  and  the  young  ladies  of  Whit- 
tingham did  their  best  to  solace  my  exile.  As 
for  business,  I  found  the  bank  doing  a  small  busi- 
ness, but  a  tolerably  satisfactory  one,  and  if  we 
made  some  bad  debts,  we  got  high  interest 
on  the  good  ones,  so  that,  one  way  or  another,  I 
managed  to  send  home  pretty  satisfactory  reports, 
and  time  passed  on  quietly  enough  in  spite  of 
certain  manifestations  of  discontent  among  the 
population.  These  disturbing  phenomena  were 


THE  MOVEMENT  3NE>  THE  MSN.  7 

first  brought  prominently  to  my  notice  at  the  time 
when  I  became  involved  in  the  fortunes  of  the 
Aureataland  national  debt,  and  as  all  my  story 
turns  on  this  incident,  it  perhaps  is  a  fir  subject  for 
a  new  chapter. 


CHAPTER  II. 

A  FINANCIAL  EXPEDIENT. 

When  our  branch  was  established  at  Whitting- 
ham  there  had  been  an  arrangement  made  be- 
tween ourselves  and  the  Government,  by  the  terms 
of  which  we  were  to  have  the  Government  busi- 
ness, and  to  occupy,  in  fact,  much  that  quasi-offi- 
cial position  enjoyed  by  the  Bank  of  England  at 
home.  As  a  quid  pro  quo,  the  bank  was  to 
lend  to  the  Republic  the  sum  of  500,000  dollars, 
at  six  per  cent.  The  President  was  at  the  time 
floating  a  loan  of  one  million  dollars  for  the  pur- 
pose of  works  at  the  harbor  of  Whittingham. 
This  astute  ruler  had,  it  seemed,  hit  on  the  plan 
of  instituting  public  works  on  a  large  scale  as  a 
corrective  to  popular  discontent,  hoping  thereby 
not  only  to  develop  trade,  but  also  to  give  em- 
ployment to  many  persons  who,  if  unoccupied, 
became  centers  of  agitation.  Such  at  least  was 
the  official  account  of  his  policy;  whether  it  was 
the  true  one  I  saw  reason  to  doubt  later  on. 
As  regards  this  loan,  my  office  was  purely  minis- 
terial. The  arrangements  were  duly  made,  the 
proper  guarantees  given,  and  in  June,  1880,  I 
had  the  pleasure  of  handing  over  to  the  President 


A  FINANCIAL  EXPEDIENT.  9 

the  500,000  dollars.  I  learned  from  him  on  that 
occasion,  that  to  his  great  gratification,  the  bal- 
ance of  the  loan  had  been  taken  up. 

"We  shall  make  a  start  at  once,  sir,"  said  the 
President,  in  his  usual  confident  but  quiet  way. 
"In  two  years  Whittingham  harbor  will  walk  over 
the  world.  Don't  be  afraid  about  your  interest. 
Your  Directors  never  made  a  better  investment." 

I  thanked  his  Excellency,  accepted  a  cigar,  and 
withdrew  with  a  peaceful  mind.  I  had  no  respon- 
sibility in  the  matter,  and  cared  nothing  whether 
the  Directors  got  their  interest  or  not.  I  was, 
however,  somewhat  curious  to  know  who  had 
taken  up  the  rest  of  the  loan,  a  curiosity  which 
was  not  destined  to  be  satisfied  for  some  time. 

The  works  were  begun  and  the  interest  was 
paid,  but  I  cannot  say  that  the  harbor  progressed 
rapidly;  in  fact,  I  doubt  if  more  than  100,000 
dollars  ever  found  their  way  into  the  pockets  of 
contractors  or  workmen  over  the  job.  The  Presi- 
dent had  some  holes  dug  and  some  walls  built; 
having  reached  that  point,  about  two  years  after 
the  interview  above  recorded,  he  suddenly  drew 
off  the  few  laborers  still  employed  and  matters 
came  to  a  dead  stop. 

It  was  shortly  after  this  occurrence  that  I  was 
honored  with  an  invitation  to  dine  at  the  Golden 
House.  It  was  in  the  month  of  July,  1882.  Need- 
less to  say,  I  accepted  the  invitation,  not  only  be- 


10  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

cause  it  was  in  the  nature  of  a  command,  but 
also  because  the  President  gave  uncommonly  good 
dinners,  and,  although  a  bachelor  (in  Aureata- 
land  at  all  events)  had  as  well  ordered  a  house- 
hold as  I  have  ever  known.  My  gratification 
was  greatly  increased  when,  on  my  arrival,  I 
found  myself  the  only  guest,  and  realized  that 
the  President  considered  my  society  in  itself 
enough  for  an  evening's  entertainment.  It  did 
cross  my  mind  that  this  might  mean  business, 
and  I  thought  it  none  the  worse  for  that. 

We  dined  in  the  famous  veranda,  the  scene  of 
so  many  W'hittingham  functions.  The  dinner  was 
beyond  reproach,  the  wines  perfection.  The  Presi- 
dent was  a  charming  companion.  Though  not, 
as  I  have  hinted,  a  man  of  much  education,  he 
had  had  a  wide  experience  of  life,  and  had  picked 
up  a  manner  at  once  quiet  and  cordial,  which  set 
me  completely  at  my  ease.  Moreover,  he  paid  me 
the  compliment,  always  so  sweet  to  youth,  of 
treating  me  as  a  man  of  the  world.  With  con- 
descending confidence  he  told  me  many  tales  of 
his  earlier  days;  and  as  he  had  been  every- 
where and  done  everything  where  and  which  a 
man  ought  not  to  be  and  do,  his  conversation  was 
naturally  most  interesting. 

"I  am  not  holding  myself  up  as  an  example," 
he  said,  after  one  of  his  most  unusual  anecdotes. 
"I  can  only  hope  that  my  public  services  will  be 


A  FINANCIAL  EXPEDIENT.  11 

allowed  to  weigh  in  the  balance  against  my  private 
frailties."  He  said  this  with  some  emotion. 

"Even  your  Excellency,"  said  I,  "may  be  con- 
tent to  claim  in  that  respect  the  same  indulgence 
as  Caesar  and  Henri  Quatre." 

"Quite  so,"  said  the  President  "I  suppose  they 
were  not  exactly — e'h  ?" 

"I  believe  not,"  I  answered,  admiring  the  Presi- 
dent's readiness,  for  he  certainly  had  a  very  dim 
notion  who  either  of  them  was. 

Dinner  was  over  and  the  table  cleared  before 
the  President  seemed  inclined  for  serious  conver- 
sation. Then  he  called  for  cigars,  and  pushing 
them  toward  me,  said: 

"Take  one  and  fill  your  glass.  Don't  believe 
people  who  tell  you  not  to  drink  and  smoke  at 
the  same  time.  Wine  is  better  without  smoke, 
and  smoke  is  better  without  wine,  but  the  com- 
bination is  better  than  either  separately." 

I  obeyed  his  commands,  and  we  sat  smoking 
and  sipping  in  silence  for  some  moments.  Then 
the  President  said,  suddenly: 

"Mr.  Martin,  this  country  is  in  a  perilous  con- 
dition." 

"Good  God,  your  Excellency,"  said  I,  "do  you 
refer  to  the  earthquake  ?"  (There  had  been  a 
slight  shock  a  few  days  before.) 

"No,  sir,"  he  replied,  "to  the  finances.  The  har- 
bor works  have  proved  far  more  expensive 


12  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

than  I  anticipated.  I  hold  in  my  hand  the  en- 
gineer's certificate  that  903,000  dollars  have  been 
actually  expended  on  them,  and  they  are  not 
finished — not  by  any  means  finished." 

They  certainly  were  not;  they  were  hardly 
begun. 

"Dear  me,"  I  ventured  to  say,  "that  seems  a 
good  deal  of  money,  considering  what  there  is 
to  show  for  it." 

"You  cannot  doubt  the  certificate,  Mr.  Martin," 
said  the  President. 

I  did  doubt  the  certificate,  and  should  have 
liked  to  ask  what  fee  the  engineer  had  received. 
But  I  hastily  said  it  was,  of  course,  beyond  sus- 
picion. 

"Yes,"'  said  he  steadily,  "quite  beyond  suspi- 
cion. You  see,  Mr.  Martin,  in  my  position  I  am 
compelled  to  be  liberal.  The  Government  can- 
not set  other  employers  the  example  of  grinding 
men  down  by  low  wages.  However,  reasons 
apart,  there  is  the  fact.  We  cannot  go  on  without 
more  money;  and  I  may  tell  you,  in  confidence, 
that  the  political  situation  makes  it  imperative 
we  should  go  on.  Not  only  is  my  personal  honor 
pledged,  but  the  opposition,  Mr.  Martin,  led  by 
the  Colonel,  is  making  itself  obnoxious — yes,  I 
may  say  very  obnoxious." 

"The  Colonel,  sir,"  said  I,  with  a  freedom  en- 
gendered of  dining,  "is  a  beast." 


A  FINANCIAL  EXPEDIENT.  13 

"Well,"  said  the  President,  with  a  tolerant  smile, 
"the  Colonel,  unhappily  for  the  country,  is  no 
true  patriot.  But  he  is  powerful;  he  is  rich;  he 
is,  under  myself  alone,  in  command  of  the  army. 
And,  moreover,  I  believe  he  stands  well  with  the 
Sigmprina.  The  situation,  in  fact,  is  desperate. 
I  must  have  money,  Mr.  Martin.  Will  your  Di- 
rectors make  me  a  new  loan?" 

I  knew  very  well  the  fate  that  would  attend  any 
such  application.  The  Directors  were  already  de- 
cidedly uneasy  about  their  first  loan ;  shareholders 
had  asked  awkward  questions,  and  the  Chairman 
had  found  no  small  difficulty  in  showing  that  the 
investment  was  likely  to  prove  either  safe  or  re- 
munerative. Again,  only  a  fortnight  before, 
the  Government  had  made  a  formal  application  to 
me  on  the  same  subject.  I  cabled  the  Directors, 
and  received  a  prompt  reply  in  the  single  word 
"Tootsums,"  which  in  our  code  meant  "Must 
absolutely  and  finally  decline  to  entertain  any  ap- 
plications." I  communicated  the  contents  of  the 
cable  to  Senor  Don  Antonio  de  la  Casabianca,  the 
Minister  of  Finance,  who  had,  of  course,  com- 
municated them  in  turn  to  the  President. 

I  ventured  to  remind  his  Excellency  of  these 
facts.  He  had  heard  me  with  silent  attention. 

"I  fear,"  I  concluded,  "therefore,  that  it  is  im- 
possible for  me  to  be  of  any  assistance  to  your 
Excellency." 


14  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

He  nodded,  and  gave  a  slight  sigh.  Then, 
with  an  air  of  closing  the  subject,  he  said: 

"I  suppose  the  Directors  are  past  reason.  Help 
yourself  to  a  brandy  and  soda." 

"Allow  me  to  mix  one  for  you,  sir,"  I  an- 
swered. 

While  I  was  preparing  our  beverages  he  re- 
mained silent.  When  I  had  sat  down  again  he 
said: 

"You  occupy  a  very  responsible  position  here 
for  so  young  a  man,  Mr.  Martin — not  beyond 
your  merits,  I  am  sure." 

I  bowed. 

"They  leave  you  a  pretty  free  hand,  don't  they?" 

I  replied  that  as  far  as  routine  business  went 
I  did  much  as  seemed  good  in  my  own  eyes. 

"Routine  business?  including  investments,  for 
instance?"  he  asked. 

"Yes,"  said  I;  "investments  in  the  ordinary 
course  of  business — discounting  bills  and  putting 
money  out  on  loan  and  mortgage  over  here.  I 
place  the  money,  and  merely  notify  the  people  at 
home  of  what  I  have  done." 

"A  most  proper  confidence  to  repose  in  you," 
the  President  was  good  enough  to  say.  "Con- 
fidence is  the  life  of  business;  you  must  trust  a 
man.  It  would  be  absurd  to  make  you  send  home 
the  bills,  and  deeds,  and  certificates,  and  what  not. 
Of  course,  they  wouldn't  do  that" 


A  FINANCIAL  EXPEDIENT.  15 

Though  this  was  a  statement,  somehow  it  also 
sounded  like  a  question,  so  I  answered: 

"As  a  rule  they  do  me  the  compliment  of  tak- 
ing my  word.  The  fact  is,  they  are,  as  your  Ex- 
cellency says,  obliged  to  trust  somebody." 

"Exactly  as  I  thought.  And  you  sometimes 
have  large  sums  to  place?" 

At  this  point,  notwithstanding  my  respect  for 
the  President,  I  began  to  smell  a  rat. 

"Oh  no,  sir,"  I  replied,  "usually  very  small. 
Our  business  is  not  so  extensive  as  we  could 
wish." 

"Whatever,"  said  the  President,  looking  me 
straight  in  the  face,  "whatever  may  be  usual,  at 
this  moment  you  have  a  large  sum — a  very  re- 
spectable sum — of  money  in  your  safe  at  the  bank, 
waiting  for  investment." 

"How  the  devil  do  you  know  that?"  I  cried. 

"Mr.  Martin!  It  is  no  doubt  my  fault;  I  am  too 
prone  to  ignore  etiquette;  but  you  forget  your- 
self." 

I  hastened  to  apologize,  although  I  was  pretty 
certain  the  President  was  contemplating  a  queer 
transaction,  if  not  flat  burglary. 

"Ten  thousand  pardons,  your  Excellency,  for 
my  most  unbecoming  tone,  but  may  I  ask  how 
you  became  possessed  of  this  information?" 

"Jones  told  me,"  he  said,  simply. 

As  it  would  not  have  been  polite  to 


16  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

the  surprise  I  felt  at  Jones'  simplicity  in  choosing 
such  a  confidant,  I  held  my  peace. 

"Yes,"  continued  the  President,  "owing  to  the 
recent  sales  of  your  real  property  in  this  country 
(sales,  due,  I  fear,  to  a  want  of  confidence  in  my 
administration),  you  have  at  this  moment  a  sum 
of  300,000  dollars  in  the  bank  safe.  Now  (don't 
interrupt  me,  please)  the  experience  of  a  busy  life 
teaches  me  that  commercial  reputation  and  prob- 
ity depend  on  results,  not  on  methods.  Your 
Directors  have  a  prejudice  against  me  and  my 
Government  That  prejudice  you,  with  your  su- 
perior opportunities  for  judgment,  cannot  share. 
You  will  serve  your  employers  best  by  doing  for 
them  what  they  haven't  the  sense  and  courage 
to  do  for  themselves.  I  propose  that  you  should 
assume  the  responsibility  of  lending  me  this 
money.  The  transaction  will  redound  to  the 
profit  of  the  bank.  It  shall  also,"  he  added, 
slowly,  "redound  to  your  profit." 

I  began  to  see  my  way.  But  there  were  diffi- 
culties. 

"What  am  I  to  tell  the  Directors?"  I  asked. 

"You  will  make  the  usual  return  of  investments 
and  debts  outstanding — mortgages — loans  on 
approved  security — but  you  know  better  than  I 
do." 

"False  returns,  your  Excellency  means?" 


A  FINANCIAL  EXPEDIENT.  17 

"They  will  no  doubt  be  formally  inaccurate," 
the  President  admitted. 

"What  if  they  ask  for  proofs?"  said  I. 

"Sufficient  unto  the  day,"  said  the  President 

"You  have  rather  surprised  me,  sir,"  I  said, 
"but  I  am  most  anxious  to  oblige  you,  and  to  for- 
ward the  welfare  of  Aureataland.  There  are, 
however,  two  points  which  occur  to  me.  First, 
how  am  I  to  be  insured  against  not  getting  my 
interest?  That  I  must  have." 

"Quite  so,"  he  interrupted.  "And  the  second 
point  I  can  anticipate.  It  is,  what  token  of  my 
gratitude  for  your  timely  assistance  can  I  prevail 
on  you  to  accept?" 

"Your  Excellency's  knowledge  of  human  na- 
ture is  surprising." 

"Kindly  give  me  your  attention,  Mr.  Martin, 
and  I  will  try  to  satisfy  both  your  very  reason- 
able requirements.  You  have  300,000  dollars; 
those  you  will  hand  over  to  me,  receiving  in  re- 
turn Government  6  per  cent,  bonds  for  that 
amount.  I  will  then  hand  back  to  you  65,000 
dollars.  45,000  you  will  retain  as  security  for 
your  interest;  in  the  event  of  any  failure  on  the 
part  of  Aureataland  to  meet  her  obligations 
honorably,  you  will  pay  the  interest  on  the  whole 
300,000  out  of  that  sum.  That  secures  you  for 
more  than  two  years  against  absolute  failure  of 
interest,  which  in  reality  ycu  need  not  fear.  Till 


18  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

the  money  is  wanted,  you  will  have  the  use  of  it 
The  remaining  20,000  I  shall  beg  of  you  to  accept 
as  your  commission,  or  rather  as  a  token  of  my 
esteem.  20,000  absolutely — 45,000  as  long  as  the 
Aureataland  pays  interest!  You  must  admit  I 
deal  with  you  as  one  gentleman  with  another,  Mr. 
Martin.  In  the  result,  your  Directors  get  their 
interest,  I  get  my  loan,  you  get  your  bonus.  We 
are  all  benefited,  no  one  is  hurt!  All  this  is 
effected  at  the  cost  of  a  harmless  stratagem." 

I  was  full  of  admiration.  The  scheme  was  very 
neat,  and,  as  far  as  the  President  and  myself  were 
concerned,  he  thad  been  no  more  than  just  in 
pointing  out  its  advantages.  As  for  the  Directors, 
they  would  probably  get  their  interest;  anyhow, 
they  would  get  it  for  two  years.  There  was  risk, 
of  course;  a  demand  for  evidence  of  my  alleged 
investments  or  a  sudden  order  to  realize  a  heavy 
sum  at  short  notice  would  bring  the  house  about 
my  ears.  But  I  did  not  anticipate  this  contre- 
temps, and  at  the  worst  I  had  my  20,000  dollars, 
and  could  make  myself  scarce  therewith.  These 
calculations  were  correct  at  the  moment,  but  I 
upset  them  afterward  by  spending  the  dollars 
and  by  contracting  a  tie  which  made  flight  from 
Aureataland  a  distasteful  alternative. 

"Well,  Mr.  Martin,"  said  the  President,  "do 
you  agree." 

I    still   hesitated.     Was    it   a   moral    scruple? 


A  "FINANCIAL  EXPEDIENT.  19 

Probably  not,  unless,  indeed,  prudence  and 
morality  are  the  same  thing. 

The  President  rose  and  put  his  hand  on  my 
shoulder. 

"Better  say  yes.  I  might  take  it,  you  know,  and 
cause  you  to  disappear — believe  me,  with  reluc- 
tance, Mr.  Martin.  It  is  true  I  shouldn't  like  this 
course.  It  would  perhaps  make  my  position  here 
untenable.  But  not  having  the  money  would 
certainly  make  it  untenable." 

I  saw  the  force  of  this  argument,  and,  gulping 
down  my  brandy  and  soda,  I  said : 

"I  can  refuse  your  Excellency  nothing." 

"Then  take  your  hat  and  come  along  to  the 
bank,"  said  he. 

This  was  sharp  work. 

"Your  Excellency  does  not  mean  to  take  the 
money  now — to-night?"  I  exclaimed. 

"Not  to  take,  Mr.  Martin — to  receive  it  from 
you.  We  have  made  our  bargain.  What  is  the 
objection  to  carrying  it  out  promptly?" 

"But  I  must  have  the  bonds.  They  must  be 
prepared,  sir." 

'They  are  here,"  he  said,  taking  a  bundle  from 
the  drawer  of  a  writing-table.  "300,000  dollars  6 
per  cent,  stock,  signed  by  myself,  and  counter- 
signed by  Don  Antonio.  Take  your  hat  and 
come  along." 

I  did  as  I  was  bid. 


CHAPTER  III. 
AN    EXCESS    OF    AUTHORITY. 

It  was  a  beautiful  moonlight  night,  and  Whit- 
tingham  was  looking  her  best  as  we  made  our 
way  along  the  avenue  leading  to  the  Piazza  1871. 
The  President  walked  briskly,  silent  but  serene;  I 
followed,  the  trouble  in  my  mind  reflected  in  a 
somewhat  hang-dog  air,  and  I  was  much  com- 
forted when  the  President  broke  the  stillness  of 
the  night  by  saying: 

"You  have  set  your  foot  on  the  first  rung  of  the 
ladder  that  leads  to  fame  and  wealth,  Mr.  Martin." 

I  was  rather  afraid  I  had  set  it  on  the  first 
rung  of  the  ladder  that  leads  to  the  gallows. 
But  there  the  foot  was;  what  the  ladder  turned 
out  to  be  was  in  the  hands  of  the  gods;  so  I  threw 
off  care,  and  as  we  entered  the  Piazza.  I  pointed 
to  the  statue,  and  said: 

"Behold  my  inspiring  example,  your  Excel- 
lency!" 

"By  Jove,  yes,"  he  replied,  "I  make  the  most  of 
my  opportunities." 

I  knew  he  regarded  me  as  one  of  his  oppor- 
tunities, and  was  making  the  most  of  me.  This  is 


AN  EXCESS  OF  AUTHORITY.  21 

not  a  pleasant  point  of  view  to  regard  one's  self 
from,  so  I  changed  the  subject,  and  said: 

"Shall  we  call  for  Don  Antonio?" 

"Why?" 

"Well,  as  he's  Minister  of  Finance,  I  thought 
perhaps  his  presence  would  make  the  matter 
more  regular." 

"If  the  presence  of  the  President,"  said  that 
official,  "can't  make  a  matter  regular,  I  don't 
know  what  can.  Let  him  sleep  on.  Isn't  his 
signature  on  the  bonds  enough?" 

What  could  I  do?  I  made  one  more  weak 
objection: 

"What  shall  we  tell  Jones?" 

"What  shall  we  tell  Jones?"  he  echoed. 
"Really,  Mr.  Martin,  you  must  use  your  discretion 
as  to  what  you  tell  your  employes.  You  can 
hardly  expect  me  to  tell  Jones  anything,  beyond 
that  it's  a  fine  morning." 

We  had  now  reached  the  bank,  which  stood  in 
Liberty  Street,  a  turning  out  of  the  Piazza.  I 
took  out  my  key,  unlocked  the  door,  and  we 
entered  together.  We  passed  into  my  inner 
sanctum,  where  the  safe  stood. 

"What's  it  in?"  asked  the  President. 

"United  States  bonds,  and  bills  on  New  York 
and  London,"  I  replied. 

"Good,"  said  he.     "Let  me  look." 

I  unlocked  the  safe  and  took  out  the  securities. 


22  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

He  examined  them  carefully,  placing  each  after 
due  scrutiny  in  a.  small  handbag,  in  which  he  had 
brought  down  the  bonds  I  was  to  receive.  I 
stood  by,  holding  a  shaded  candle.  At  this  mo- 
ment a  voice  cried  from  the  door: 

"If  you  move  you're  dead  men!" 

I  started  and  looked  up.  The  President 
looked  up  without  starting.  There  was  dear  old 
Jones,  descended  from  his  upper  chamber,  where 
he  and  Mrs.  Jones  resided.  He  was  clad  only  in 
his  night-shirt,  and  was  leveling  a  formidable 
gun  full  at  the  august  head  of  his  Excellency. 

"Ah,  Mr.  Jones,"  said  the  latter,  "it's  a  fine 
morning." 

"Good  heavens,  the  President!"  cried  Jones; 
"and  Mr.  Martin!  Why,  what  on  earth,  gentle- 
men— ?" 

The  President  gently  waved  one  hand  toward 
me,  as  if  to  say,  "Mr.  Martin  will  explain,"  and 
went  on  placing  his  securities  in  the  bag. 

In  the  face  of  this  crisis  my  hesitation  left  me. 

"I  have  received  a  cable  from  Europe,  Jones," 
said  I,  "instructing  me  to  advance  a  sum  of  money 
to  his  Excellency;  I  am  engaged  in  carrying  out 
these  instructions." 

"Cable  ?"  said  Jones.    "Where  is  it  ?" 

"In  my  pocket,"  said  I,  feeling  for  it  "No  ! 
Why,  I  must  have  left  it  at  the  Golden  House." 

The  President  came  to  my  assistance. 


AN  EXCESS  OF  AUTHORITY.  23 

"I  saw  it  on  the  table  just  before  we  started. 
Though  I  presume  Mr.  Jones  has  no  right — ?" 

"None  at  all,"  I  said  briskly. 

"Yet,  as  a  matter  of  concession,  Mr.  Martin  will 
no  doubt  show  it  to  him  to-morrow  ?" 

"Strictly  as  a  matter  of  concession  perhaps  I 
will,  though  I  am  bound  to  say  that  I  am  surprised 
at  your  manner,  Mr.  Jones." 

Jones  looked  sadly  puzzled. 

"It's  all  irregular,  sir,"  said  he. 

"Hardly  more  so  than  your  costume  !"  said  the 
President,  pleasantly. 

Jones  was  a  modest  man,  and  being  thus  made 
aware  of  the  havoc  the  draught  was  playing  with 
his  airy  covering,  he  hastily  closed  the  door,  and 
said  to  me  appealingly: 

"It's  all  right,  sir,  I  suppose  ?" 

"Perfectly  right,"  said  I. 

"But  highly  confidential,"  added  the  President. 
"And  you  will  put  me  under  a  personal  obliga- 
tion, Mr.  Jones,  and  at  the  same  time  fulfill  your 
duty  to  your  employers,  if  you  preserve  silence  till 
the  transaction  is  officially  announced.  A  man 
who  serves  me  does  not  regret  it." 

Here  he  was  making  the  most  of  another  op- 
portunity— Jones  this  time. 

"Enough  of  this,"  I  said.  "I  will  go  over  the 
matter  in  the  morning,  and  meanwhile  hadn't  you 
better  go  back  to — " 


24  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

"Mrs.  Jones,"  interjected  his  Excellency.  "And 
mind,  silence,  Mr.  Jones  !" 

He  walked  up  to  Jones  as  he  said  this,  and 
looked  hard  at  him. 

"Silent  men  prosper  best,  and  live  longest,  Mr. 
Jones." 

Jones  looked  into  his  steely  eyes,  and  sud- 
denly fell  all  of  a  tremble. 

The  President  was  satisfied.  He  abruptly 
pushed  him  out  of  the  room,  and  we  heard  his 
shambling  steps  going  up  the  staircase. 

His  Excellency  turned  to  me,  and  said  with 
apparent  annoyance: 

"You  leave  a  great  deal  to  me,  Mr.  Martin." 

He  had  certainly  done  more  than  tell  Jones  it 
was  a  fine  morning.  But  I  was  too  much 
troubled  to  thank  him;  I  was  thinking  of  the 
cable.  The  President  divined  my  thoughts,  and 
said: 

"You  must  prepare  that  cable." 

"Yes,"  I  replied;  "that  would  reassure  'him. 
But  I  haven't  had  much  practice  in  that  sort  of 
thing,  and  I  don't  quite  know — " 

The  President  scribbled  a  few  words  on  a  bit 
of  paper,  and  said: 

"Take  that  to  the  postoffice,  and  they'll  give 
you  the  proper  form ;  you  can  fill  it  up." 

Certainly  some  things  go  easily  if  the  head  of 
the  State  is  your  fellow  criminal. 


"  I  sat  ffaziiisf  at  the  bonds  lie  had  left  me.' 


m 


AN  EXCESS  OF  AUTHORITY.  25 

And  now,  Mr.  Martin,  it  grows  late.  I  have 
y  securities;  you  have  your  bonds.  We  have 
iwon  over  Jones.  All  goes  well.  Aureataland  is 
:  saved.  You  have  made  your  fortune,  for  there 
ilie  your  65,000  dollars.  And,  in  fine,  I  am  much 
obliged  to  you.  I  will  not  trouble  you  to  attend 
me  on  my  return.  Good-night,  'Mr.  Martin." 

He  went  out,  and  I  threw  myself  down  in  my 
office  chair,  and  sat  gazing  at  the  bonds  he  had 
left  me.  I  wondered  whether  he  had  merely  made 
a  tool  of  me;  whether  I  could  trust  him;  whether 
I  had  done  well  to  sacrifice  my  honesty,  relying 
on  his  promises.  And  yet  there  lay  my  reward; 
and,  as  purely  moral  considerations  did  not 
trouble  me,  I  soon  arose,  put  the  Government 
bonds,  and  the  65,000  dollars  in  securities  in  the 
safe,  locked  up  everything,  and  went  home  to  my 
lodgings.  As  I  went  in  it  was  broad  daylight, 
for  the  clock  had  gone  five,  and  I  met  Father 
Jacques  sallying  forth.  He  had  already  break- 
fasted, and  was  on  his  way  to  administer  early 
consolation  to  the  flower  women  in  the  Piazza. 
He  stopped  me  with  a  grieved  look,  and  said: 
"Ah,  my  friend,  these  are  untimely  hours." 
I  saw  I  was  laboring  under  an  unjust  suspicion 
— a  most  revolting  thing. 

"I  have  only  just  come  from  the  bank.  "I 
had  to  dine  at  the  Golden  House  and  afterward 
returned  to  finish  up  a  bit  of  work." 


26  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

"Ah,  that  is  well,"  he  cried.  "It  is  then  the 
industrious  and  not  the  idle  apprentice  I  meet?" 
referring  to  a  series  of  famous  prints  with  which 
my  room  was  decorated,  a  gift  from  my  father  on 
my  departure. 

I  nodded  and  passed  on,  saying  to  myself: 
"Deuced  industrious,  indeed.  Not  many  men 
have  done  such  a  night's  work  as  I  have. 

And  that  is  how  my  fortune  became  bound  up 
with  those  of  the  Aureataland  national  debt. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

OVERTURES  FROM  THE  OPPOSITION. 

After  the  incidents  above  recorded,  things  went 
on  quietly  enough  for  some  months.  I  had  a 
serious  talk  with  Jones,  reproaching  him  gravely 
for  ihis  outrageous  demeanor.  He  capitulated  ab- 
jectly on  being  shown  the  cable,  which  was  pro- 
cured in  the  manner  kindly  indicated  by  the 
President.  The  latter  had  perhaps  been  in  too 
great  a  hurry  with  'his  heavy  guns,  for  his  hint 
of  violence  had  rather  stirred  than  allayed  Jones' 
apprehensions.  If  there  were  nothing  to  conceal, 
why  should  his  Excellency  not  stick  at  murder  to 
hide  it  ?  However,  I  explained  to  him  the  con- 
siderations of  high  policy,  dictating  inviolable 
secrecy,  and  justifying  a  somewhat  arbitrary  way 
of  dealing  with  a  trusted  official;  and  the  marked 
graciousness  with  which  Jones  was  received  when 
he  met  the  President  at  the  Ministry  of  Finance 
on  current  business  went  far  to  obliterate  his  un- 
pleasant recollections.  I  further  bound  him  to  my 
fortunes  by  obtaining  for  him  a  rise  of  salary 
from  the  Directors,  "in  consequence  of  the  favor- 
able report  of  his  conduct  received  from  Mr. 
Martin." 


28  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

Peaceful  as  matters  seemed,  I  was  not  alto- 
gether at  ease.  To  begin  with,  the  new  loan  did 
not  apparently  at  all  improve  the  financial  posi- 
tion of  Aureataland.  Desolation  still  reigned  on 
the  scene  of  the  harbor  works;  there  was  the 
usual  difficulty  in  paying  salaries  and  meeting 
current  expenditure.  The  President  did  not  in- 
vite my  confidence  as  to  the  disposal  of  his  funds; 
indeed  before  long  I  was  alarmed  to  see  a  grow- 
ing coldness  in  his  manner,  which  I  considered 
at  once  ungrateful  and  menacing;  and  when  the 
half-year  came  round  he  firmly  refused  to  dis- 
burse more  than  half  the  amount  of  interest  due 
on  the  second  loan,  thus  forcing  me  to  make  an 
inroad  on  my  reserve  of  45,000  dollars.  He  gave 
me  many  good  reasons  for  this  course  of  conduct, 
dwelling  chiefly  on  the  necessary  unproductive- 
ness of  public  works  in  their  early  stages,  and 
confidently  promising  full  payment  with  arrears 
next  time.  Nevertheless  I  began  to  see  that  I 
must  face  the  possibility  of  a  continual  drain  on 
resources  that  I  had  fondly  hoped  would  be  avail- 
able for  my  own  purposes  for  a  considerable  time 
at  least.  Thus  one  thing  and  another  contributed 
to  open  a  breach  between  his  Excellency  and  my- 
self, and,  although  I  never  ceased  to  feel  his 
charm  as  a  private  companion,  my  distrust  of 
him  as  ruler,  and,  I  may  add,  as  a  fellow-con- 
spirator, steadily  deepened. 


OVERTURES  FROM  THE  OPPOSITION.        29 

Other  influences  were  at  this  time — for  we 
have  now  reached  the  beginning  of  '83 — at  work 
in  the  same  direction.  Rich  in  the  possession 
of  my  "bonus,"  I  had  plunged  even  more  freely 
than  before  into  the  gaities  of  Whittingham,  and 
where  I  was  welcome  before,  I  was  now  a  dou- 
bly-honored guest.  I  had  also  taken  to  play  on  a 
somewhat  high  scale,  and  it  was  my  reputation 
as  a  daring  gambler  that  procured  me  the  honor 
of  an  acquaintance  with  the  Signorina,  the  lady 
to  wiiom  the  President  had  referred  during  his 
interview  with  me;  and  my  acquaintance  with 
the  Signorina  was  very  rich  in  results. 

This  lady  was,  after  the  President,  perhaps  the 
best  known  person  in  Aureataland — best  known, 
that  is,  by  name  and  face  and  fame;  for  her  an- 
tecedents and  circumstances  were  wrapped  in  im- 
penetrable mystery.  When  I  arrived  in  the  coun- 
try the  Signorina  Christina  Nugent  had  been  set- 
tled there  about  a  year.  She  had  appeared  origi- 
nally as  a  member  of  an  operatic  company,  which 
had  paid  a  visit  to  our  "National  Theater"  from 
the  United  States.  The  company  passed  on  its 
not  very  brilliant  way,  but  the  Signorina  re- 
mained behind.  It  was  said  she  had  taken  a  fancy 
to  Whittingham,  and,  being  independent  of  her 
profession,  had  determined  to  make  a  sojourn 
there.  At  any  rate,  there  she  was;  whether  she 
took  a  fancy  to  Whittingham,  or  whether  some- 


30  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

one  in  Whittingham  took  a  fancy  to  her,  re- 
mained in  doubt  She  established  herself  in  a 
pretty  villa,  closely  adjoining  the  Golden  House ; 
it  stood  opposite  the  presidential  grounds,  com- 
manding a  view  of  that  stately  enclosure;  and 
here  she  dwelt,  under  the  care  of  a  lady  whom 
she  called  "Aunt,"  known  to  the  rest  of  the 
world  as  Mrs.  Carrington.  The  title  "Signorina" 
was  purely  professional;  for  all  I  know  the  name 
"Nugent"  was  equally  a  creature  of  choice;  but, 
anyhow,  the  lady  herself  never  professed  to  be 
anything  but  English,  and  openly  stated  that  she 
retained  her  title  simply  because  it  was  more 
musical  than  that  of  "Miss."  The  old  lady  and 
the  young  one  lived  together  in  great  apparent 
comfort;  for  they  probably  got  through  more 
money  than  any  one  in  the  town,  and  there  always 
seemed  to  be  plenty  more  where  that  came  from. 
Where  did  it  come  from  was,  I  need  hardly  say, 
a  subject  of  keen  curiosity  in  social  circles;  and 
when  I  state  that  the  Signorina  was  now  about 
twenty-three  years  of  age,  and  of  remarkably  pre- 
possessing appearance,  it  will  be  allowed  that  we 
in  Whittingham  were  no  worse  than  other  people 
if  we  entertained  some  uncharitable  suspicions. 
The  Signorina,  however,  did  not  make  the  work 
of  detection  at  all  easy.  She  became  almost  at 
once  a  leading  figure  in  society;  her  "salon''  was 
the  leading  meeting-place  of  all  parties  and  most 


OVERTURES  FROM  THE  OPPOSITION.       31 

sets;  she  received  many  gracious  attentions  from 
the  Golden  House,  but  none  on  which  slander 
could  definitely  settle.  She  was  also  frequently 
the  hostess  of  members  of  the  opposition,  and  of 
no  one  more  often  than  their  leader,  Colonel 
George  McGregor,  a  gentleman  of  Scotch  extrac- 
tion, but  not  pronouncedly  national  characteris- 
tics, who  had  attained  a  high  position  in  the  land 
of  his  adoption;  for  not  only  did  he  lead  the 
opposition  in  politics,  but  he  was  also  second  in 
command  of  the  army.  He  entered  the  chamber 
as  one  of  the  President's  nominees  (for  the  latter 
had  reserved  to  himself  power  to  nominate  five 
members),  but  at  the  time  of  which  I  write  the 
Colonel  had  deserted  his  former  chief,  and,  secure 
in  his  popularity  with  the  forces,  defied  the  man 
by  whose  help  he  had  risen.  Naturally  the  Presi- 
dent disliked  him,  a  feeling  I  cordially  shared. 
But  his  Excellency's  disapproval  did  not  prevent 
the  Signorina  receiving  McGregor  with  great  cor- 
diality, though  here  again  with  no  more  em- 
pressement  than  his  position  seemed  to  demand. 

I  have  as  much  curiosity  as  my  neighbors,  and 
I  was  proportionately  gratified  when  the  doors  of 
"Mon  Repos,"  as  the  Signorina  called  her  resi- 
dence, were  opened  to  me.  My  curiosity,  I  must 
confess,  was  not  unmixed  with  other  feelings ;  for 
I  was  a  young  man  of  heart,  though  events  had 
thrown  sobering  responsibilities  upon  me,  and  the 


32  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

sight  of  the  Signorina  in  her  daily  drives  was 
enough  to  inspire  a  thrill  even  in  the  soul  of  a 
bank  manager.  She  was  certainly  very  beautiful 
— a  tall,  fair  girl,  with  straight  features  and  laugh- 
ing eyes.  I  shall  not  attempt  more  description, 
because  all  such  descriptions  sound  common- 
place, and  the  Signorina  was,  even  by  the  admis- 
sion of  her  enemies,  at  least  very  far  from  com- 
monplace. It  must  suffice  to  say  that,  like  Father 
O'Flynn,  she  "had  such  a  way  with  her"  that  all 
of  us  men  in  Aureataland,  old  and  young,  rich 
and  poor,  were  at  her  feet,  or  ready  to  be  there 
on  the  least  encouragement.  She  was,  to  my 
thinking,  the  very  genius  of  health,  beauty  and 
gaiety;  and  she  put  the  crowning  touch  to  her 
charms  by  very  openly  and  frankly  soliciting  and 
valuing  the  admiration  she  received.  For,  after 
all,  it's  only  exceptional  men  who  are  attracted 
by  difficile  beauty;  to  most  of  us  a  gracious  re- 
ception of  our  timid  advances  is  the  most  subtle 
temptation  of  the  devil. 

It  may  be  supposed,  then,  that  I  thought  my 
money  very  well  invested  when  it  procured  me  an 
invitation  to  "Mon  Repos,"  where  the  lady  of  the 
house  was  in  the  habit  of  allowing  a  genteel 
amount  of  gambling  among  her  male  friends. 
She  never  played  herself,  but  stood  and  looked 
on  with  much  interest.  On  occasion  she  would 
tempt  fortune  by  the  hand  of  a  chosen  deputy. 


OVERTURES  FROM  THE  OPPOSITION.        33 

and  nothing  could  be  prettier  or  more  artistic 
than  her  behavior.  She  was  just  eager  enough  for 
a  girl  unused  to  the  excitement  and  fond  of 
triumph,  just  indifferent  enough  to  show  that  her 
play  was  merely  a  pastime,  and  the  gain  of  the 
money  or  its  loss  a  matter  of  no  moment.  Ah, 
Signorina,  you  were  a  great  artist  ! 

At  "Mon  Repos"  I  soon  became  an  habitual, 
and,  I  was  fain  to  think,  a  welcome  guest.  Mrs. 
Carrington,  who  entertained  a  deep  distrust  of 
the  manners  and  excesses  of  Aureataland,  was 
good  enough  to  consider  me  eminently  respect- 
able, while  the  Signorina  was  graciousness  itself. 
I  was  even  admitted  to  the  select  circle  at  the 
dinner  party,  which,  as  a  rule,  preceded  her 
Wednesday  evening  reception,  and  I  was  a  con- 
stant figure  round  the  little  roulette  board,  which, 
of  all  forms  of  gaming,  was  our  hostess'  favorite 
delectation.  The  Colonel  was,  not  to  my  pleasure, 
an  equally  invariabe  guest,  and  the  President  him- 
self would  often  honor  the  party  with  his  presence, 
an  honor  we  found  rather  expensive,  for  his  luck 
at  all  games  of  skill  or  chance  was  extraordinary. 

"I  have  always  trusted  fortune,"  he  would  say, 
"and  to  me  she  is  not  fickle." 

"Who  would  be  fickle  if  your  Excellency  were 
pleased  to  trust  her  ?"  the  Signorina  would  re- 
spond, with  a  glance  of  almost  fond  admira- 
tion. 


34  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

This  sort  of  thing  did  not  please  McGregor. 
He  made  no  concealment  of  the  fact  that  he 
claimed  the  foremost  place  among  the  Signorina's 
admirers,  utterly  declining  to  make  way  even  for 
the  President  The  latter  took  his  boorishness 
very  quietly  and  I  could  not  avoid  the  conclusion 
that  the  President  held,  or  thought  he  held,  the 
trumps.  I  was,  naturally,  intensely  jealous  of 
both  these  great  men,  and,  although  I  had  no 
cause  to  complain  of  my  treatment,  I  could  not 
stifle  some  resentment  at  the  idea  that  I  was, 
after  all,  an  outsider  and  not  allowed  a  part  in 
the  real  drama  that  was  going  on.  My  happi- 
ness was  further  damped  by  the  fact  that  luck 
ran  steadily  against  me,  and  I  saw  my  bonus 
dwindling  very  rapidly.  I  suppose  I  may  as  well 
be  frank,  and  confess  that  my  bonus,  to  speak 
strictly,  vanished  within  six  months  after  I  first 
set  foot  in  "Mon  Repos,"  and  I  found  it  neces- 
sary to  make  that  temporary  use  of  the  "interest- 
fund"  which  the  President  had  indicated  as  open 
to  the  Colonel,  "Well,  you  must  be  lucky  in  love, 
ever,  my  uneasiness  on  this  score  was  lightened 
when  the  next  installment  of  interest  was  punctu- 
ally paid,  and,  with  youthful  confidence,  I  made 
little  doubt  that  luck  would  turn  before  long. 

Thus  time  passed  on,  and  the  beginning  of  1884 
found  us  all  leading  an  apparently  merry  and  un- 
troubled life.  In  public  affairs  the  temper  was 


:  She  sat  by  herself  on  a  low  lounge  by  the  \viiido\v. 


OVERTURES  FROM  THE  OPPOSITION.        35 

very  different.  The  scarcity  of  money  was  in- 
tense, and  serious  murmuring  had  arisen  when 
the  President  "squandered"  his  ready  money  in 
paying  interest,  leaving  his  civil  servants  and  sol- 
diers unpaid.  This  was  the  topic  of  much  discus- 
sion in  the  press  at  the  time  when  I  went  up  one 
March  evening  to  the  Signorina's.  I  had  been 
detained  at  the  bank,  and  found  the  play  in  full 
swing  when  I  came  in.  The  Signorina  was  taking 
no  part  in  it,  but  sat  by  herself  on  a  low  lounge 
by  the  veranda  window.  I  went  up  to  her  and 
made  my  bow. 

"You  spare  us  but  little  of  your  time,  Mr.  Mar- 
tin," she  said. 

"Ah,  but  you  have  all  my  thoughts,"  I  replied, 
for  she  was  looking  charming. 

"I  don't  care  so  much  about  your  thoughts," 
she  said.  Then,  after  a  pause,  she  went  on,  "It's 
very  hot  here,  come  into  the  conservatory." 

It  almost  looked  as  though  she  had  been  wait- 
ing for  me,  and  I  followed  in  high  delight  into  the 
long,  narrow  glass  house  running  parallel  to  the 
"salon."  High  green  plants  hid  us  from  the  view 
of  those  inside,  and  we  only  heard  distinctly  his 
Excellency's  voice,  saying  with  much  genialty 
to  the  Colonel,  "Well,  you  must  be  lucky  in  love, 
Colonel,"  from  which  I  concluded  that  the  Col- 
onel was  not  in  the  vein  at  cards. 

The  Signorina  smiled  slightly  as  she  heard; 


36  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

then  she  plucked  a  white  rose,  turned  round,  and 
stood  facing  me,  slightly  flushed  as  though  with 
some  inner  excitement. 

"I  am  afraid  those  two  gentlemen  do  not  love 
one  another,"  she  said. 

"Hardly,"  I  assented. 

"And  you,  do  you  love  them — or  either  of 
them  ?" 

"I  love  only  one  person  in  Aureataland,"  I  re- 
plied, as  ardently  as  I  dared. 

The  Signorina  bit  her  rose,  glancing  up  at  me 
with  unfeigned  amusement  and  pleasure.  I  think 
I  have  mentioned  that  she  didn't  object  to  honest 
admiration. 

"Is  it  possible  you  mean  me  ?"  she  said,  making 
me  a  little  courtesy.  "I  only  think  so  because 
most  of  the  Whittingham  ladies  would  not  satisfy 
your  fastidious  taste." 

VNo  lady  in  the  world  could  satisfy  me  except 
one,"  I  answered,  thinking  she  took  it  a  little  too 
lightly. 

"Ah,  so  you  say,"  she  said.  "And  yet  I  don't 
suppose  you  would  do  anything  for  me,  Mr. 
Martin  ?" 

"It  would  be  my  greatest  happiness,"  I  cried. 

She  said  nothing,  but  stood  there,  biting  the 
rose. 

"Give  it  me,"  I  said;  "it  shall  be  my  badge 
of  service." 


OVERTURES  FROM  THE  OPPOSITION.        37 

"You  will  serve  me,  then  ?"  said  she. 

"For  what  reward  ?" 

"Why,  the  rose  !" 

"I  should  like  the  owner,  too,"  I  ventured  to 
remark. 

"The  rose  is  prettier  than  the  owner,"  she  said; 
"and,  at  any  rate,  one  thing  at  a  time,  Mr.  Mar- 
tin !  Do  you  pay  your  servants  all  their  wages 
in  advance  ?" 

My  practice  was  so  much  to  the  contrary  that 
I  really  couldn't  deny  the  force  of  her  reasoning. 
She  held  out  the  rose.  I  seized  it  and  pressed 
it  close  to  my  lips,  thereby  squashing  it  con- 
siderably. 

"Dear  me,"  said  the  Signorina,  "I  wonder  if  I 
had  given  you  the  other  thing  whether  you  would 
have  treated  it  so  roughly." 

"I'll  show  you  in  a  moment,"  said  I. 

"Thank  you,  no,  not  just  now,"  she  said,  show- 
ing no  alarm,  for  she  knew  she  was  safe  with  me. 
Then  she  said  abruptly: 

"Are  you  a  Constitutionalist  or  a  Liberal,  Mr. 
Martin  ?" 

I  must  explain  that,  in  the  usual  race  for  the 
former  title,  the  President's  party  had  been  first 
at  the  post,  and  the  Colonel's  gang  (as  I  privately 
termed  it)  had  to  put  up  with  the  alternative  des- 
ignation. Neither  name  bore  any  relation  to 
facts. 


38  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

"Are  we  going  to  talk  politics  ?"  said  I,  re- 
proachfully. 

"Yes,  a  little;  you  see  we  got  to  an  impasse  on 
the  other  topic.  Tell  me." 

"Which  are  you,  Signorina  ?"  I  asked. 

I  really  wanted  to  know ;  so  did  a  great  many 
people. 

She  thought  for  a  moment,  and  then  said: 

"I  have  a  great  regard  for  the  President.  He 
has  been  most  kind  to  me.  He  has  shown  me 
real  affection." 

"The  devil  he  has  !"  I  muttered. 

"I  beg  your  pardon  ?"  said  she. 

"I  only  said  'Of  course  he  has.'  The  President 
has  the  usual  complement  of  eyes." 

The  Signorina  smiled  again,  but  went  on  as  if 
I  hadn't  spoken. 

"On  the  other  hand,  I  cannot  disguise  from 
myself  that  some  of  his  measures  are  not  wise." 

I  said  I  had  never  been  able  to  disguise  it  from 
myself. 

"The  Colonel,  of  course,  is  of  the  same  opin- 
ion," she  continued.  "About  the  debt,  for  in- 
stance. I  believe  your  bank  is  interested  in  it  ?" 

This  was  no  secret,  so  I  said: 

"Oh,  yes,  to  a  considerable  extent" 

"And  you  ?"  she  asked,  softly. 

"Oh,  I  am  not  a  capitalist;  no  money  of  mine 
has  gone  into  the  debt." 


OVERTURES  FROM  THE  OPPOSITION.        39 

"No  money  of  yours,  no.  But  aren't  you  in- 
terested in  it  ?"  she  persisted. 

This  was  rather  odd.  Could  she  know  any- 
thing ? 

She  drew  nearer  to  me,  and,  laying  a  hand 
lightly  on  my  arm,  said  reproachfully: 

"Do  you  love  people,  and  yet  not  trust  them, 
Mr.  Martin  ?" 

This  was  exactly  my  state  of  feeling  toward 
the  Signorina,  but  I  could  not  say  so.  I  was 
wondering  how  far  I  should  be  wise  to  trust  her, 
and  that  depended  largely  on  how  far  his  Ex- 
cellency had  seen  fit  to  trust  her  with  my  secrets. 
I  said  finally: 

"Without  disclosing  other  people's  secrets, 
Signorina,  I  may  admit  that  if  anything  went 
wrong  with  the  debt,  my  employers'  opinion  of  my 
discretion  would  be  severely  shaken." 

"Of  your  discretion,"  she  said  laughing. 
"Thank  you,  Mr.  Martin.  And  you  would  wish 
that  not  to  happen  ?" 

"I  would  take  a  good  deal  of  pains  to  prevent 
its  happening." 

"Not  less  willingly  if  your  interest  and  mine 
coincided  ?" 

I  was  about  to  make  a  passionate  reply  when 
we  heard  the  President's  voice  saying: 

"And  where  is  our  hostess  ?  I  should  like  to 
thank  her  before  I  go." 


40  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

"Hush,"  whispered  the  Signorina.  "We  must 
go  back.  You  will  be  true  to  me,  Mr.  Martin  ?" 

"Call  me  Jack,"  said  I,  idiotically. 

"Then  you  will  be  true,  O  Jack  ?"  she  said, 
stifling  a  laugh. 

"Till  death,"  said  I,  hoping  it  -would  not  be 
necessary. 

She  gave  me  her  hand,  which  I  kissed  with 
fervor,  and  we  returned  to  the  "salon,"  to  find  all 
the  players  risen  from  the  table  and  standing 
about  in  groups,  waiting  to  make  their  bows  till 
the  President  had  gone  through  that  ceremony. 
I  was  curious  to  hear  if  anything  passed  between 
him  and  the  Signorina,  but  I  was  pounced  upon 
by  Donna  Antonia,  the  daughter  of  the  Minister 
of  Finance,  who  happened  to  be  present,  notwith- 
standing the  late  hour,  as  a  guest  of  the  Signo- 
rina's  for  the  night.  She  was  a  handsome  young 
lady,  a  Spanish  brunette  of  the  approved  pat- 
tern, but  with  manners  formed  at  a  New  York 
boarding-school,  where  she  had  undergone  a 
training  that  had  tempered  without  destroying 
her  native  gentility.  She  had  distinguished  me 
very  favorably,  and  I  was  vain  enough  to  suppose 
she  honored  me  by  some  jealousy  of  my  penchant 
for  the  Signorina. 

"I  hope  you  have  enjoyed  yourself  in  the  con- 
servator}'," she  said,  maliciously. 

"We  were  talking  business,  Donna  Antonia,"  I 
replied. 


OVERTURES  FROM  THE  OPPOSITION.        41 

"Ah,  business  !  I  hear  of  nobbing  but  business. 
There  is  papa  gone  down  to  the  country  and 
burying  himself  alive  to  work  out  some  great 
scheme  of  business!" 

I  pricked  up  my  ears. 

"Ah,  what  scheme  is  that  ?"  I  asked. 

"Oh  !  I  don't  know.  Something  about  that 
horrid  debt.  But  I  was  told  not  to  say  anything 
about  it  !" 

The  debt  was  becoming  a  bore.  The  whole  air 
was  full  of  it.  I  hastily  paid  Donna  Antonia  a 
few  incoherent  compliments,  and  took  my  leave. 
As  I  was  putting  on  my  coat  Colonel  McGregor 
joined  me  and,  with  more  friendliness  than  he 
usually  showed  me,  accompanied  me  down  the 
avenue  toward  the  Piazza..  After  some  indiffer- 
ent remarks,  he  began: 

"Martin,  you  and  I  have  separate  interests  in 
some  matters,  but  I  think  we  have  the  same  in 
others." 

I  knew  at  once  what  he  meant;  it  was  that  debt 
over  again  ! 

I  remained  silent,  and  he  continued: 

"About  the  debt,  for  instance.  You  are  in- 
terested in  the  debt  ?" 

"Somewhat,"  said  I.  "A  banker  generally  is 
interested  in  a  debt." 

"I  thought  so,"  said  the  Colonel.    "A  time  may 


42  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

come  when  we  can  act  together.  Meanwhile,  keep 
your  eye  on  the  debt.  Good-night." 

We  parted  at  the  door  of  his  chambers  in  the 
Piazza,  and  I  went  on  to  my  lodgings. 

As  I  got  into  bed,  rather  puzzled  and  very  un- 
easy, I  damned  the  debt  Then,  remembering 
that  the  debt  was,  as  it  seemed,  for  some  reason 
a  common  interest  to  the  Signorina  and  myself, 
I  apologized  to  it,  and  fell  asleep. 


CHAPTER  V. 

I  APPRECIATE  THE  SITUATION. 

The  flight  of  time  brought  no  alleviation  to 
the  troubles  of  Aureataland.  If  an  individual 
hard-up  is  a  pathetic  sight,  a  nation  hard-up  is  an 
alarming  spectacle;  and  Aureataland  was  very 
hard-up.  I  suppose  somebody  had  some  money. 
But  the  Government  had  none;  in  consequence 
the  Government  employes  had  none,  the  officials 
had  none,  the  President  had  none,  and  finally,  I 
had  none.  The  bank  had  a  little — of  other  peo- 
ple's, of  course — but  I  was  quite  prepared  for  a 
"run"  on  us  any  day,  and  had  cabled  to  the 
Directors  to  implore  a  remittance  in  cash,  for  our 
notes  were  at  a  discount  humiliating  to  con- 
template. Political  strife  ran  high.  I  dropped 
into  the  House  of  Assembly  one  afternoon 
toward  the  end  of  May,  and,  looking  down  from 
the  gallery,  saw  the  Colonel  in  the  full  tide  of 
wrathful  declamation.  He  was  demanding  of  the 
miserable  Don  Antonio  when  the  army  was  to 
be  paid.  The  latter  sat  cowering  under  his  scorn, 
and  would,  I  verily  believe,  have  bolted  out  of  the 
House  had  he  not  been  nailed  to  his  seat  by  the 


44  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

cold  eye  of  the  President,  who  was  looking  on 
from  his  box.  The  Minister  on  rising  had  noth- 
ing to  urge  but  vague  promises  of  speedy  pay- 
ment; but  he  utterly  lacked  the  confident  ef- 
frontery of  his  chief,  and  nobody  was  deceived  by 
his -weak  protestations.  I  left  the  House  in  a 
considerable  uproar,  and  strolled  on  to  the  house 
of  a  friend  of  mine,  one  Madame  Devarges,  the 
widow  of  a  French  gentleman,  who  had  found 
his  way  to  Whittingham  from  New  Caledonia. 
Politeness  demanded  the  assumption  that  he  had 
found  his  way  to  New  Caledonia  owing  to  poli- 
tical troubles,  but  the  usual  cloud  hung  over  the 
precise  date  and  circumstances  of  his  patriotic 
sacrifice.  Madame  sometimes  considered  it  neces- 
sary to  bore  herself  and  others  with  denunciations 
of  the  various  tyrants  or  would-be  tyrants  of 
France;  but,  apart  from  this  pious  offering  on 
the  shrine  of  her  husband's  reputation,  she  was 
a  bright  and  pleasant  little  woman.  I  found 
assembled  round  her  tea-table  a  merry  party,  in- 
cluding Donna  Antonia,  unmindful  of  her  father's 
agonies,  and  one  Johnny  Carr,  who  deserves  men- 
tion as  being  the  only  honest  man  in  Aureata- 
land.  I  speak,  of  course,  of  the  place  as  I  found 
it  He  was  a  young  Englishman,  what  they  call 
a  "cadet,"  of  a  good  family,  shipped  off  with  a 
couple  of  thousand  pounds  to  make  his  fortune. 
Land  was  cheap  among  us,  and  Johnny  had 


I  APPRECIATE  THE  SITUATION.  45 

bought  an  estate  and  settled  down  as  a  land- 
owner. Recently  he  had  blossomed  forth  as  a 
keen  Constitutionalist  and  a  devoted  admirer  of 
the  President's,  and  held  a  seat  in  the  Assembly 
in  that  interest.  Johnny  was  not  a  clever  man 
nor  a  wise  one,  but  he  was  merry,  and,  as  I  have 
thought  it  necessary  to  mention,  honest. 

"Hullo,  Johnny  !  Why  not  at  the  House  ?" 
said  I  to  him.  "You'll  want  every  vote  to-night. 
Be  off  and  help  the  Ministry,  and  take  Donna 
Antonia  with  you.  They're  eating  up  the  Minister 
of  Finance." 

"All  right  !  I'm  going  as  soon  as  I've  had 
another  muffin,"  said  Johnny.  "But  what's  the 
row  about  ?" 

"Well,  they  want  their  money,"  I  replied;  "and 
Don  Antonio  won't  give  it  them.  Hence  bad 
feeling." 

"Tell  you  what  it  is,"  said  Johnny;  "he  hasn't 
got  a—" 

Here  Donna  Antonia  struck  in,  rather  sud- 
denly, I  thought 

"Do  stop  the  gentlemen  talking  politics, 
Madame  Devarges.  They'll  spoil  our  tea-party." 

"Your  word  is  law,"  I  said;  "but  I  should  like 
to  know  what  Don  Antonio  hasn't  got" 

"Now  do  be  quiet,"  she  rejoined;  isn't  it  quite 
enough  that  he  has  got— a  charming  daughter  ?" 

"And  a  most  valuable  one,"  I  replied  with  a 


46  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

bow,  for  I  saw  that  for  some  reason  or  other 
Donna  Antonia  did  not  mean  to  let  me  pump 
Johnny  Carr,  and  I  wanted  to  pump  him. 

"Don't  say  another  word,  Mr.  Carr,"  she  said, 
with  a  laugh.  "You  know  you  don't  know  any- 
thing, do  you  ?" 

"Good  Lord,  no  !"  said  Johnny. 

Meanwhile  Madame  Devarges  was  giving  me 
a  cup  of  tea.  As  she  handed  it  to  me,  she  said 
in  a  low  voice: 

"If  I  were  his  friend  I  should  take  care  Johnny 
didn't  know  anything,  Mr.  Martin." 

"If  I  were  his  friend  I  should  take  care  he 
told  me  what  he  knew,  Madame  Devarges,"  I 
replied. 

"Perhaps  that's  what  the  Colonel  thinks,"  she 
said.  "Johnny  has  just  been  telling  us  how  very 
attentive  he  has  become.  And  the  Signorina  too, 
I  hear." 

"You  don't  mean  that  ?"  I  exclaimed.  "But, 
after  all,  pure  kindness,  no  doubt  !" 

"You  have  received  many  attentions  from  those 
quarters,"  she  said.  "No  doubt  you  are  a  good 
judge  of  the  motives." 

"Don't,  now,  don't  be  disagreeable,"  said  I.  "I 
came  here  for  peace." 

"Poor  young  man  !     Have  you  lost  all  your 

oney  ?    Is  it  possible 
tonio,  haven't  got  a — ?' 


I  APPRECIATE  THE  SITUATION.  47 

"What  is  going  to  happen  ?"  I  asked,  for 
Madame  Devarges  often  had  information. 

"I  don't  know,"  she  said.  "But  if  I  owned 
national  bonds,  I  should  sell." 

"Pardon  me,  madame;  you  would  offer  to  sell." 

She  laughed,  saying: 

"Ah,  I  see  my  advice  comes  too  late  !" 

I  did  not  see  any  need  to  enlighten  her  further. 
So  I  passed  on  to  Donna  Antonia,  who  had  sat 
somewhat  sulkily  since  her  outburst.  I  sat  down 
by  her  and  said: 

"Surely  I  haven't  offended  you  ?" 

"You  know  you  wouldn't  care  if  you  had,"  she 
said,  with  a  reproachful,  but  not  unkind  glance. 
"Now,  if  it  were  the  Signorina — " 

I  never  object  to  bowing  down  in  the  temple 
of  Rimmon,  so  I  said: 

"Hang  the  Signorina  !" 

"If  I  thought  you  meant  that,"  said  Donna  An- 
tonia, "I  might  be  able  to  help  you." 

"Do  I  want  help  ?"  I  asked. 

"Yes,"  said  she. 

"Then  suppose  I  do  mean  it  ?" 

Donna  Antonia  refused  to  be  frivolous.  With 
a  look  of  genuine  distress  she  said: 

"You  will  not  let  your  real  friends  save  you, 
Mr.  Martin.  You  know  you  want  help.  Why 
don't  you  consider  the  state  of  your  affairs  ?" 

"In  that,  at  least,  my  friends  in  Whittingham 


48  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

are  very  ready  to  help  me,"  j.  answered,  with 
some  annoyance. 

"If  you  take  it  in  that  way,"  she  replied  sadly, 
"I  can  do  nothing." 

I  was  rather  touched.  Clearly  she  wished  to 
be  of  some  use  to  me,  and  for  a  moment  I  thought 
I  might  do  better  to  tear  myself  free  from  my 
chains,  and  turn  to  the  refuge  opened  to  me.  But 
I  could  not  do  this;  and,  thinking  it  would  be 
rather  mean  to  take  advantage  of  her  interest  in 
me  only  to  use  it  for  my  own  purposes,  I  yielded 
to  conscience  and  said: 

"Donna  Antonia,  I  will  be  straightforward  with 
you.  You  can  only  help  me  if  I  accept  your 
guidance  ?  I  can't  do  that.  I  am  too  deep  in." 

"Yes,  you  are  deep  in,  and  eager  to  be  deeper," 
she  said.  "Well,  so  be  it.  If  that  is  so  I  cannot 
help  you." 

"Thank  you  for  your  kind  attempt,"  said  I.  "I 
shall  very  likely  be  sorry  some  day  that  I  repulse 
it.  I  shall  always  be  glad  to  remember  that  you 
made  it." 

She  looked  at  me  a  moment,  and  said: 

"We  have  ruined  you  amongst  us." 

"Mind,  body,  and  estate  ?" 

She  made  no  reply,  and  I  saw  my  return  to 
flippancy  wounded  her.  So  I  rose  and  took  my 
leave.  Johnny  Carr  went  with  me. 

"Things  look  queer,  eh,  old  man  ?"  said  he. 


I  APPRECIATE  THE  SITUATION.  49 

"But  the  President  will  pull  through  in  spite  of 
the  Colonel  and  his  Signorina." 

"Johnny,"  said  I,  "you  hurt  my  feelings;  but 
still  I  will  give  you  a  piece  of  advice." 

"Drive  on,"  said  Johnny. 

"Marry  Donna  Antonia,"  said  I.  "She's  a  good 
girl  and  a  clever  girl,  and  won't  let  you  get  drunk 
or  robbed." 

"By  Jove,  that's  not  a  bad  idea,"  said  he.  "Why 
don't  you  do  it  yourself  ?" 

"Because  I'm  like  you,  Johnny — an  ass,"  I  re- 
plied, and  left  him  wondering  why,  if  he  was  an 
ass  and  I  was  an  ass,  one  ass  should  marry  Donna 
Antonia,  and  not  both  or  neither. 

As  I  went  along  I  bought  the  "Gazette,"  the 
Government  organ,  and  read  therein: 

"At  a  Cabinet  council  this  afternoon,  presided 
over  by  his  Excellency,  we  understand  that  the 
arrangements  connected  with  the  national  debt 
formed  the  subject  of  discussion.  The  resolutions 
arrived  at  are  at  present  strictly  confidential,  but 
we  have  the  best  authority  for  stating  that  the 
measures  to  be  adopted  will  have  the  effect  of 
materially  alleviating  the  present  tension,  and  will 
afford  unmixed  satisfaction  to  the  immense  ma- 
jority of  the  citizens  of  Aureataland.  The  Presi- 
dent will  once  again  be  hailed  as  the  savior  of 
his  country." 

"I  wonder  if  the  immense  majority  will  include 


50  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

me,"  said  I.  "I  think  I  will  go  and  see  his  Ex- 
cellency." 

Accordingly,  the  next  morning  I  took  my  way 
to  the  Golden  House,  where  I  learned  that  the 
President  was  at  the  Ministry  of  Finance.  Ar- 
riving there,  I  sent  in  my  card,  writing  thereon 
an  humble  request  for  a  private  interview.  I  was 
ushered  into  Don  Antonio's  room,  where  I  found 
the  Minister  himself,  the  President,  and  Johnny 
Cam  As  I  entered  and  the  servant,  on  a  sign 
from  his  Excellency,  placed  a  chair  for  me,  the 
latter  said  rather  stiffly: 

"As  I  presume  this  is  a  business  visit,  Mr.  Mar- 
tin, it  is  more  regular  that  I  should  receive  you 
in  the  presence  of  one  of  my  constitutional  ad- 
visers. Mr.  Carr  is  acting  as  my  secretary,  and 
you  can  speak  freely  before  him.'*' 

I  was  annoyed  at  failing  in  my  attempt  to  see 
the  President  alone,  but  not  wishing  to  show  it, 
I  merely  bowed  and  said: 

"I  venture  to  intrude  on  your  Excellency,  in 
consequence  of  a  letter  from  my  Directors.  They 
inform  me  that,  to  use  their  words,  'disquieting 
rumors'  are  afloat  on  the  exchanges  in  regard 
to  the  Aureataland  loan,  and  they  direct  me  to 
submit  to  your  Excellency  the  expediency  of  giv- 
ing some  public  notification  relative  to  the  pay- 
ment of  the  interest  falling  due  next  month.  It 
appears  from  their  communication  that  it  is  ap- 


I  APPRECIATE  THE  SITUATION.  51 

prehended  that  some  difficulty  may  occur  in  the 
matter." 

"Would  not  this  application,  if  necessary  at  all, 
have  been  more  properly  made  to  the  Ministry  of 
Finance  in  the  first  instance  ?"  said  the  President 
"These  details  hardly  fall  within  my  province." 

"I  can  only  follow  my  instructions,  your  Excel- 
lency," I  replied. 

"Have  you  any  objection,  Mr.  Martin,"  said 
the  President,  "to  allowing  myself  and  my  ad- 
visers to  see  this  letter  ?" 

"I  am  empowered  to  submit  it  only  to  your  Ex- 
cellency's own  eye." 

"Oh,  only  to  my  eye,"  said  he,  with  an  amused 
expression.  "That  was  why  the  interview  was  to 
be  private  ?" 

"Exactly,  sir,"  I  replied.  "I  intend  no  disre- 
spect to  the  Minister  of  Finance  or  to  your  sec- 
retary, sir,  but  I  am  bound  by  my  orders." 

"You  are  an  exemplary  servant,  Mr.  Martin. 
But  I  don't  think  I  need  trouble  you  about  it 
further.  Is  it  a  cable  ?" 

He  smiled  so  wickedly  at  this  question  that  I 
saw  he  had  penetrated  my  little  fiction.  However, 
I  only  said: 

"A  letter,  sir." 

"Well,  gentlemen,"  said  he  to  the  others.  "I 
think  we  may  reassure  Mr.  Martin.  Tell  your 
Directors  this,  Mr.  Martin.  The  Government  does 


52  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

not  see  any  need  of  a  public  notification,  and 
none  will  be  made.  I  think  we  agree,  gentlemen, 
that  to  acknowledge  the  necessity  of  any  such 
action  would  be  highly  derogatory.  But  assure 
them  that  the  President  has  stated  to  you,  Mr. 
Martin,  personally,  with  the  concurrence  of  his 
advisers,  that  he  anticipates  no  difficulties  in  your 
being  in  a  position  to  remit  the  full  amount  of  in- 
terest to  them  on  the  proper  day." 

"I  may  assure  them,  sir,  that  the  interest  will  be 
punctually  paid  ?" 

"Surely  I  expressed  myself  in  a  manner  you 
could  understand,"  said  he,  with  the  slightest  em- 
phasis on  the  "you."  "Aureataland  will  meet  her 
obligations.  You  will  receive  all  your  due,  Mr. 
Martin.  That  is  so,  gentlemen  ?" 

Don  Antonio  acquiesced  at  once.  Johnny 
Carr,  I  noticed,  said  nothing  and  fidgeted  rather 
uneasily  in  his  chair.  I  knew  what  the  President 
meant.  He  meant,  "If  we  don't  pay,  pay  it  out 
of  your  reserve  fund."  Alas,  the  reserve  fund 
was  considerably  diminished;  I  had  enough,  and 
just  enough  left,  to  pay  the  next  installment  if  I 
paid  none  of  my  own  debts.  I  felt  very  vicious 
as  I  saw  his  Excellency  taking  keen  pleasure  in  the 
consciousness  of  my  difficulties  (for  he  had  a 
shrewd  notion  of  how  the  land  lay),  but  of  course 
I  could  say  nothing.  So  I  rose  and  bowed  myself 
out,  feeling  I  had  gained  nothing,  except  a  very 


I  APPRECIATE  THE  SITUATION.  53 

clear  conviction  that  I  should  not  see  the  color 
of  the  President's  money  on  the  next  interest  day. 
True,  I  could  just  pay  myself  ?  But  what 
would  happen  next  time  ?  And  if  he  wouldn't 
pay,  and  I  couldn't  pay,  the  game  would 
be  up.  As  to  the  original  loan,  it  is  true 
I  had  no  responsibility;  but  then,  if  no  in- 
terest were  paid,  the  fact  that  I  had  ap- 
plied a  second  loan,  my  loan,  in  a  manner  dif- 
ferent from  that  which  my  instructions  authorized 
and  my  own  reports  represented,  would  be  in- 
evitably discovered.  And  my  acceptance  of  the 
bonus,  my  dealings  with  the  reserve  fund,  my 
furnishing  inaccurate  returns  of  investments,  all 
this  would,  I  knew,  look  rather  queer  to  people 
who  didn't  know  the  circumstances. 

When  I  went  back  to  the  bank,  revolving  these 
things  in  my  mind,  I  found  Jones  employed  in 
arranging  the  correspondence.  It  was  part  of  his 
duty  to  see  to  the  preservation  and  filing  of  all 
letters  arriving  from  Europe,  and,  strange  to  say, 
he  delighted  in  the  task.  It  was  part  of  my  duty 
to  see  he  did  this;  so  I  sat  down  and  began 
to  turn  over  the  pile  of  letters  and  messages  which 
he  had  put  on  my  desk;  they  dated  back  two 
years;  this  surprised  me,  and  I  said: 
"Rather  behindhand,  aren't  you,  Jones  ?" 
"Yes,  sir,  rather.  Fact  is,  I've  done  'em  before, 


54  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

but  as  you've  never  initialed  'em,  I  thought  I 
ought  to  bring  'em  to  your  notice." 

"Quite  right — very  neglectful  of  me.  I  sup- 
pose they're  all  right  ?" 

"Yes,  sir,  all  right." 

"Then  I  won't  trouble  to  go  through  them." 

"There  all  there,  sir,  except,  of  course,  the  cable 
about  the  second  loan,  sir." 

"Except  what  ?"  I  said. 

"The  cable  about  the  second  loan,"  he  repeated. 

I  was  glad  to  be  reminded  of  this,  for  of 
course  I  wished  to  remove  that  document  before 
the  bundle  finally  took  its  place  among  the 
archives.  Indeed,  I  thought  I  had  done  so.  But 
why  had  Jones  removed  it  ?  Surely  Jones  was 
not  as  skeptical  as  that? 

"Ah,  and  where  have  you  put  that  ?" 

"Why,  sir,  his  Excellency  took  that." 

"What?"  I  cried. 

"Yes,  sir.  Didn't  I  mention  it  ?  Why,  the 
day  after  you  and  the  President  were  here  that 
night,  his  Excellency  came  down  in  the  afternoon, 
when  you'd  gone  out  to  the  Piazza,  and  said  he 
wanted  it.  He  said,  sir,  that  you'd  said  it  was 
to  go  to  the  Ministry  of  Finance.  He  was  very 
affable,  sir,  and  told  me  that  it  was  necessary 
the  original  should  be  submitted  to  the  Minister 
for  his  inspection ;  and  as  he  was  passing  by  (he'd 
come  in  to  cash  a  check  on  his  private  account) 


I  APPRECIATE  THE  SITUATION.  55 

he'd  take  it  up  himself.  Hasn't  he  given  it  back  to 
you,  sir  ?  He  said  he  would." 

I  had  just  strength  enough  to  gasp  out: 

"Slipped  his  memory,  no  doubt.  All  right, 
Jones." 

"May  I  go  now,  sir  ?"  said  Jones.  "Mrs.  Jones 
wanted  me  to  go  with  her  to — " 

"Yes,  go,"  said  I,  and  as  he  went  out,  I  added 
a  destination  different  no  doubt  from  what  the 
good  lady  had  proposed.  For  I  saw  all  now. 
That  old  villain  (pardon  my  warmth)  had  stolen 
my  forged  cable,  and,  if  need  arose,  meant  to 
produce  it  as  his  own  justification.  I  had  been 
ctone,  done  brown — and  Jones'  idiocy  had  made 
the  task  easy.  I  had  no  evidence  but  my  word 
that  the  President  knew  the  message  was  fabri- 
cated. Up  till  now  I  had  thought  that  if  I  stood 
convicted  I  should  have  the  honor  of  his  Ex- 
cellency's support  in  the  dock.  But  now  ! — why 
now,  I  might  prove  myself  a  thief,  but  I  couldn't 
prove  him  one.  I  had  convinced  Jones,  not  for 
my  good,  but  for  his.  I  had  forged  papers  not  for 
my  good,  but  for  his.  True,  I  had  spent  the 
money  myself,  but — 

"Damn  it  all,"  I  cried  in  the  bitterness  of  my 
spirit,  "he  won  about  three-quarters  of  that !" 

And  his  Excellency's  words  came  back  to  my 
memory,  "I  make  the  most  of  my  opportuni- 
ties." 


CHAPTER  VI. 

MOURONS  POUR  LA  PATRIE! 

The  next  week  was  a  busy  one  for  me.  I  spent 
it  in  scraping  together  every  bit  of  cash  I  could 
lay  my  hands  on.  If  I  could  get  together  enough 
to  pay  the  interest  on  the  300,000  dollars  supposed 
to  be  invested  in  approved  securities — really  dis- 
posed of  in  a  manner  only  known  to  his  Excel- 
lency— I  should  have  six  months  to  look  about 
me.  Now  remaining  out  of  my  "bonus"  was  nil, 
out  of  my  "reserve  fund"  10,000  dollars.  This 
was  enough.  But,  alas,  how  happened  it  that 
this  sum  was  in  my  hands  ?  Because  I  had  bor- 
rowed 5,000  from  the  bank  !  If  they  wouldn't 
let  their  own  manager  overdraw,  whom  would 
they  ?  So  J,  overdrew.  But  if  this  money  wasn't 
back  before  the  monthly  balancing,  Jones  would 
know!  And  I  dared  not  rely  on  being  able  to 
stop  his  mouth  again.  When  I  said  Johnny  Carr 
was  the  only  honest  man  in  Aureataland  I  forgot 
Jones.  To  my  grief  and  annoyance  Jones  also 
was  honest,  and  Jones  would  consider  it  his  duty 
to  let  the  Directors  know  of  my  overdraft  If 
once  they  knew,  I  was  lost,  for  an  overdraft  ef- 


MOURONS  POUR  LA  PATRIE!      57 

fected  privately  from  the  safe  by  the  manager  is, 
I  do  not  deny  it,  decidedly  irregular.  Unless  I 
could  add  5,000  dollars  to  my  10,000  before  the 
end  of  the  month  I  should  have  to  bolt  ! 

This  melancholy  conclusion  was  reinforced  and 
rendered  demonstrable  by  a  letter  which  arrived, 
to  crown  my  woes,  from  my  respected  father,  in' 
forming  me  that  he  had  unhappily  become  in- 
debted to  our  Chairman  in  the  sum  of  £2,000, 
the  result  of  a  deal  between  them,  that  he  had 
seen  the  Chairman,  that  the  Chairman  was  urgent 
for  payment,  that  he  used  most  violent  language 
against  our  family  in  general,  ending  by  de- 
claring his  intention  of  stopping  my  salary 
to  pay  the  parental  debt.  "If  he  doesn't 
like  it  he  may  go,  and  small  loss."  This 
was  a  most  unjustifiable  proceeding,  but  I 
was  hardly  in  a  position  to  take  up  a  high 
moral  attitude  toward  the  Chairman,  and  in  the 
result  I  saw  myself  confronted  with  the  certainty 
of  beggary  and  the  probability  of  jail.  But  for 
this  untoward  reverse  of  fortune  I  might  have 
taken  courage  and  made  a  clean  breast  of  my 
misdoings,  relying  on  the  Chairman's  obligations 
to  my  father  to  pull  me  through.  But  now,  where 
was  I?  I  was,  as  Donna  Antonia  put  it,  very 
deep  in  indeed.  So  overwhelmed  was  I  by  my 
position,  and  so  occupied  by  my  frantic  efforts 
to  improve  it,  that  1  did  not  even  find  time  to 


58  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

go  and  see  the  Signorina,  much  as  I  needed 
comfort;  and,  as  the  days  went  on,  I  fell  into 
such  despair  that  I  went  nowhere,  but  sat  dis- 
mally in  my  own  rooms,  looking  at  my  port- 
manteau, and  wondering  how  soon  I  must  pack 
and  fly,  if  not  for  life,  at  least  for  liberty. 

At  last  the  crash  came.  I  was  sitting  in  my 
office  one  morning,  engaged  in  the  difficult  task 
of  trying  to  make  ten  into  fifteen,  when  I  heard 
the  clatter  of  hoofs. 

A  moment  later  the  door  was  opened,  and 
Jones  ushered  in  Colonel  McGregor.  I  nodded 
to  the  Colonel,  who  came  in  with  his  usual  lei- 
surely step,  sat  himself  down,  and  took  off  his 
gloves.  I  roused  myself  to  say: 

"What  can  I  do  for  you,  Colonel?" 

He  waited  till  the  door  closed  behind  Jones, 
and  then  said: 

"I've  got  to  the  bottom  of  it  at  last,  Martin." 

This  was  true  of  myself  also,  but  the  Colonel 
meant  it  in  a  different  sense. 

"Bottom  of  what?"  I  asked,  rather  testily. 

"That  old  scamp's  villainy,"  said  he,  jerking 
his  thumb  toward  the  Piazza  and  the  statue 
of  the  Liberator.  "He's  very  cute,  but  he's  made 
a  mistake  at  last." 

"Do  come  to  the  point,  Colonel.  What's  it 
all  about?" 

"Would  you  be  surprised  to  hear,"  said  the 


MOURONS  POUR  LA  PATRIE!  59 

Colonel,  adopting  a  famous  mode  of  speech, 
"that  the  interest  on  the  debt  would  not  be  paid 
on  the  3  ist?" 

"No,  I  shouldn't,"  said  I,  resignedly. 

"Would  you  be  surprised  to  hear  that  no  more 
interest  would  ever  be  paid?" 

"The  devil!"  I  cried,  leaping  up.  "What  do 
you  mean,  man?" 

"The  President,"  said  he,  calmly,  "will,  on  the 
3ist  instant,  repudiate  the  national  debt!" 

I  had  nothing  left  to  say.  I  fell  back  in  my 
chair,  and  gazed  at  the  Colonel,  who  was  now 
employed  in  lighting  a  cigarette.  At  the  same 
moment  a  sound  of  rapid  wheels  struck  on  my 
ears.  Then  I  heard  the  sweet  clear  -voice  I  knew 
so  well  saying: 

"I'll  just  disturb  him  for  a  moment,  Mr.  Jones. 
I  want  him  to  tear  himself  from  work  for  a  day, 
and  come  for  a  ride." 

She  opened  my  door,  and  came  swiftly  in. 
On  seeing  the  Colonel  she  took  in  the  position, 
and  said  to  that  gentleman : 

"Have  you  told  him?" 

"I  have  just  done  so,  Signorina,"  he  replied. 

I  had  not  energy  enough  to  greet  her;  so 
she  also  sat  down  uninvited,  and  took  off  her 
gloves — not  lazily,  like  the  Colonel,  but  with  an 
air  as  though  she  would,  if  a  man,  take  off  her 
coat,  to  meet  the  crisis  more  energetically. 


60  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

At  last  I  said,  with  conviction: 

"He's  a  wonderful  man!  How  did  you  find  it 
out,  Colonel?" 

"Had  Johnny  Carr  to  dine  and  made  him 
drunk,"  said  that  worthy. 

"You  don't  mean  he  trusted  Johnny?" 

"Odd,  isn't  it?"  said  the  Colonel  "With  his 
experience,  too.  He  might  have  known  Johnny 
was  an  ass.  I  suppose  there  was  no  one  else." 

"He  knew,"  said  the  Signorina,  "anyone  else 
in  the  place  would  betray  him ;  he  knew  Johnny 
wouldn't  if  he  could  help  it.  He  underrated 
your  powers,  Colonel." 

"Well,"  said  I,  "I  can't  help  it,  can  I?  My 
Directors  will  lose.  The  bondholders  will  lose. 
But  how  does  it  hurt  me?" 

The  Colonel  and  the  Signorina  both  smiled 
gently. 

"You  do  it  very  well,  Martin,"  said  the  for- 
mer, "but  it  will  save  time  if  I  state  that  both 
Signorina  Nugent  and  myself  are  possessed  of 
the  details  regarding  the — "  (the  Colonel  paused, 
and  stroked  his  mustache). 

"The  second  loan,"  said  the  Signorina. 

I  was  less  surprised  at  this,  recollecting  cer- 
tain conversations. 

"Ah,  and  how  did  you  find  that  out?"  I  asked. 

"She  told  me,"  said  the  Colonel,  indicating 
his  fair  neighbor. 


MOURONS  POUR  LA  PATRIE!      61 

"And  may  I  ask  how  you  found  it  out,  Sig- 
norina?" 

"The  President  told  me,"  said  that  lady. 

"Did  you  make  him  drunk?" 

"No,  not  drunk,"  was  her  reply,  in  a  very 
demure  voice,  and  with  downcast  eyes. 

We  could  guess  how  it  had  been  done,  but 
neither  of  us  cared  to  pursue  the  subject.  After 
a  pause,  I  said: 

"Well,  as  you  both  know  all  about  it,  it's  no 
good  keeping  up  pretenses.  It's  very  kind  of 
you  to  come  and  warn  me." 

"You  dear  good  Mr.  Martin,"  said  ths  Sig- 
norina,  "our  motives  are  not  purely  those  of 
friendship." 

"Why,  how  does  it  matter  to  you?" 

"Simply  this,"  said  she,  "the  bank  and  its  excel- 
lent manager  own  most  of  the  debt.  The  Colo- 
nel and  I  own  the  rest.  If  it  is  repudiated,  the 
bank  loses;  yes,  but  the  manager  and  the  Colo- 
nel and  the  Signorina  Nugent  are  lost!" 

"I  didn't  know  this,"  I  said,  rather  bewildered. 

"Yes,"  said  the  Colonel,  "when  the  first  loan 
was  raised  I  lent  him  100,000  dollars.  We  were 
thick  then,  and  I  did  it  in  return  for  my  rank 
and  my  seat  in  the  Chamber.  Since  then  I've 
bought  up  some  more  shares." 

You  got  them  cheap,  I  suppose?"  said  I. 


62  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

"Yes,"  he  replied,  "I  averaged  them  at  about 
75  cents  the  five-dollar  share." 

"And  what  do  you  hold  now,  nominal?" 

"Three  hundred  thousand  dollars,"  said  he, 
shortly. 

"I  understand  your  interest  in  the  matter. 
But  you,  Signorina?" 

The  Signorina  appeared  a  little  embarrassed. 
But  at  last  she  broke  out: 

"I  don't  care  if  I  do  tell  you.  When  I  agreed 
to  stay  here,  he"  (we  knew  whom  she  meant) 
"gave  me  100,000  dollars.  And  I  had  50,000, 
or  thereabouts,  of  my  own  that  I  had — " 

"Saved  out  of  your  salary  as  a  prima  donna," 
put  in  the  Colonel. 

"What  does  it  matter?"  said  she,  flushing;  "I 
had  it.  Well,  then,  what  did  he  do?  He  per- 
suaded me  to  put  it  all — the  whole  150,000 — 
into  his  horrid  debt.  Oh!  wasn't  it  mean,  Mr. 
Martin?" 

The  President  had  certainly  combined  business 
and  pleasure  in  this  matter. 

"Disgraceful!"  I  remarked. 

"And  if  that  goes,  I  am  penniless — penniless. 
And  there's  poor  aunt.  What  will  she  do?" 

"Never  mind  your  aunt,"  said  the  Colonel, 
rather  rudely.  "Well,"  he  went  on,  "you  see 
we're  in  the  same  boat  with  you,  Martin." 

"Yes;  and  we  shall  soon  be  in  the  same  deep 
water,"  said  I. 


MOURONS  POUR  LA  PATRIE!  63 

"Not  at  all,"  said  the  Colonel. 

"Not  at  all,"  echoed  the  Signorina. 

"Why,  what  on  earth  are  you  going  to  do?" 

"Financial  probity  is  the  backbone  of  a  coun- 
try," said  the  Colonel.  "Are  we  to  stand  by 
and  see  Aureataland  enter  on  the  shameful  path 
of  repudiation?" 

"Never!"  cried  the  Signorina,  leaping  up  with 
sparkling  eyes.  "Never!" 

She  looked  enchanting.  But  business  is  busi- 
ness; and  I  said  again: 

"What  are  you  going  to  do?" 

"We  are  going,  with  your  help,  Martin,  to 
prevent  this  national  disgrace.  We  are  going — " 
he  lowered  his  voice, — uselessly,  for  the  Sig- 
norina struck  in,  in  a  high  merry  tone,  waving 
her  gloves  over  her  head  and  dancing  a  little 
pas  seul  on  the  floor  before  me,  with  these 
remarkable  words: 

"Hurrah  for  the  Revolution!  Hip!  hip!  hur- 
rah!" 

She  looked  like  a  Goddess  of  Freedom  in  high 
spirits  and  a  Paris  bonnet.  I  lost  my  mental 
balance.  Leaping  up,  I  grasped  her  round  the 
waist,  and  we  twirled  madly  about  the  office, 
the  Signorina  breaking  forth  into  the  "Marseil- 
laise." 

"For  God's  sake,  be  quiet!"  said  McGregor, 
in  a  hoarse  whisper,  making  a  clutch  at  me  as 


64  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

I  sped  past  him.  "If  they  hear  you!  Stop,  I 
tell  you,  Christina." 

The  Signorina  stopped. 

"Do  you  mean  me,  Colonel  McGregor?"  she 
asked. 

"Yes,"  he  said,  "and  that  fool  Martin,  too." 

"Even  in  times  of  revolution,  Colonel,"  said 
I,  "nothing  is  lost  by  politeness.  But  in  sub- 
stance you  are  right.  Let  us  be  sober." 

We  sat  down  again,  panting,  the  Signorina 
between  her  gasps  still  faintly  humming  the  psalm 
of  liberty. 

"Kindly  unfold  your  plan,  Colonel,"  I  resumed. 
"I  am  aware  that  out  here  you  think  little  of 
revolutions,  but  to  a  newcomer  they  appear  to 
be  matters  requiring  some  management.  You 
see  we  are  only  three." 

"I  have  the  army  with  me,"  said  he,  grandly. 

"In  the  outer  office?"  asked  I,  indulging  in 
a  sneer  at  the  dimensions  of  the  Aureataland 
forces. 

"Look  here,  Martin,"  he  said,  scowling,  "if 
you're  coming  in  with  us,  keep  your  jokes  to 
yourself." 

"Don't  quarrel,  gentlemen,"  said  the  Signo- 
rina. "It's  a  waste  of  time.  Tell  him  the  plan, 
Colonel,  while  I'm  getting  cool." 

I  saw  the  wisdom  of  this  advice,  so  I  said: 

"Your  pardon,  Colonel.    But  won't  this  repu- 


MOURONS  POUR  LA  PATRIE!       65 

diation  be  popular  with  the  army?  If  he  lets 
the  debt  slide,  he  can  pay  them." 

"Exactly,"  said  he.  "Hence  we  must  get  at 
them  before  that  aspect  of  the  case  strikes  them. 
They  are  literally  starving,  and  for  ten  dollars 
a  man  they  would  make  Satan  himself  Presi- 
dent. Have  you  got  any  money,  Martin?" 

"Yes,"  said  I,  "a  little." 

"How  much?" 

"Ten  thousand,"  I  replied;  "I  was  keeping  it 
for  the  interest." 

"Ah,  you  won't  want  it  now." 

"Indeed  I  shall — for  the  second  loan,  you 
know." 

"Look  here,  Martin;  give  me  that  ten  thou- 
sand for  the  troops.  Stand  in  with  us,  and  the 
day  I  become  President  I'll  give  you  back  your 
300,000.  Just  look  where  you  stand  now.  I 
don't  want  to  be  rude,  but  isn't  it  a  case  of — ?" 

"Some  emergency?"  said  I,  thoughtfully.  "Yes, 
it  is.  But  where  do  you  suppose  you're  going 
to  get  300,000  dollars,  to  say  nothing  of  your 
own  shares?" 

He  drew  his  chair  closer  to  mine,  and,  lean- 
ing forward,  said: 

"He's  never  spent  the  money.  He's  got  it 
somewhere ;  much  the  greater  part,  at  least." 

"Did  Carr  tell  you  that?" 

"He  didn't  know  for  certain;  but  he  told  me 


66  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

enough  to  make  it  almost  certain.  Besides,"  he 
added,  glancing  at  the  Signorina,  "we  have  other 
reasons  for  suspecting  it.  Give  me  the  ten  thou- 
sand. You  shall  have  your  loan  back,  and,  if 
you  like,  you  shall  be  Minister  of  Finance.  We 
practically  know  the  money's  there,  don't  we, 
Signorina?" 

She  nodded  assent. 

"If  we  fail?"  said  I. 

He  drew  a  neat  little  revolver  from  his  pocket, 
placed  it  for  a  moment  against  his  ear,  and  re- 
pocketed  it. 

"Most  lucidly  explained,  Colonel,"  said  I. 
"Will  you  give  me  half  an  hour  to  think  it  over?" 

"Yes,"  he  said.  "You'll  excuse  me  if  I  stay 
in  the  outer  office?  Of  course  I  trust  you,  Mar- 
tin, but  in  this  sort  of  thing — " 

"All  right,  I  see,"  said  I.  "And  you,  Signo- 
rina?" 

"I'll  wait,  too,"  she  said. 

They  both  rose  and  went  out,  and  I  heard 
them  in  conversation  with  Jones.  I  sat  still, 
thinking  hard.  But  scarcely  a  moment  had 
passed,  when  I  heard  the  door  behind  me  open. 
It  was  the  Signorina.  She  came  in,  stood  behind 
my  chair,  and,  leaning  over,  put  her  arms  round 
my  neck. 

I  looked  up,  and  saw  her  face  full  of  mischief. 

"What  about  the  rose,  Jack?"  she  asked. 


'She  came  in,  stood  behind  my  chair,  and  leaning  over, 
put  her  arms  round  my  neck." 


MOURONS  POUR  LA  PATRIE!      67 

I  remembered.  Bewildered  with  delight,  and 
believing  I  had  won  her,  I  said: 

"Your  soldier  till  death,  Signorina." 

"Bother  death!"  said  she,  saucily.  "Nobody's 
going  to  die.  We  shall  win,  and  then — !" 

"And  then,"  said  I,  eagerly,  "you'll  marry  me, 
sweet?" 

She  quietly  stooped  down  and  kissed  my  lips. 
Then,  stroking  my  hair,  she  said: 

"You're  a  nice  boy,  but  you're  not  a  good 
toy,  Jack." 

"Christina,  you  won't  marry  him?" 

"Him?" 

"McGregor,"  said  I. 

"Jack,"  said  she,  whispering  now,  "I  hate 
him!" 

"So  do  I,"  I  answered  promptly.  "And  if  it's 
to  win  you,  I'll  upset  a  dozen  presidents." 

"Then  you'll  do  it  for  me?  I  like  to  think 
you'll  do  it  for  me,  and  not  for  the  money." 

As  the  Signorina  was  undoubtedly  "doing  it" 
for  her  money,  this  was  a  shade  unreasonable. 

"I  don't  mind  the  money  coming  in,"  I  began. 

"Mercenary  wretch!"  she  cried.  "I  didn't  kiss 
you,  did  I?" 

"No,"  I  replied.  "You  said  you  would  in  a 
minute,  when  I  consented." 

"Very  neat,  Jack,"  she  said.  But  she  went 
•and  opened  the  door  and  called  to  McGregor, 


68  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

"Mr.  Martin  sees  no  objection  to  the  arrange- 
ment, and  he  will  come  to  dinner  to-night,  as 
you  suggest,  and  talk  over  the  details.  We're 
all  going  to  make  our  fortunes,  Mr.  Jones,"  she 
went  on,  without  waiting  for  any  acceptance  of 
her  implied  invitation,  "and  when  we've  made 
ours,  we'll  think  about  you  and  Mrs.  Jones." 

I  heard  Jones  make  some  noise  incoherently 
suggestive  of  gratification,  for  he  was  as  bad 
as  any  of  us  about  the  Signorina,  and  then  I 
was  left  to  my  reflections.  These  were  less  som- 
ber than  the  reader  would,  perhaps,  anticipate. 
True,  I  was  putting  my  head  into  a  noose;  and 
if  the  President's  hands  ever  found  their  way  to 
the  end  of  the  rope,  I  fancied  he  would  pull  it 
pretty  tight.  But,  again,  I  was  immensely  in 
love,  and  equally  in  debt;  and  the  scheme  seemed 
to  open  the  best  chance  of  satisfying  my  love, 
and  the  only  chance  of  filling  my  pocket.  To 
a  young  man,  life  without  love  isn't  worth  much; 
to  a  man  of  any  age,  in  my  opinion,  life  without 
money  isn't  worth  much;  it  becomes  worth  still 
less  when  he  is  held  to  account  for  money  he 
ought  to  have.  So  I  cheerfully  entered  upon 
my  biggest  gamble,  holding  the  stake  of  life  well 
risked.  My  pleasure  in  the  affair  was  only 
marred  by  the  enforced  partnership  of  McGregor. 
There  was  no  help  for  this,  but  I  knew  he  wasn't 
much  fonder  of  me  than  I  of  him,  and  I  found 


MOURONS  POUR  LA  PATRIE!      69 

myself  gently  meditating  on  the  friction  likely 
to  arise  between  the  new  President  and  his  Min- 
ister of  Finance,  in  case  our  plans  succeeded. 
Still  the  Signorina  hated  him,  and  by  all  signs 
she  loved  me.  So  I  lay  back  in  my  chair,  and 
recalled  my  charmer's  presence  by  whistling  the 
hymn  of  liberty  until  it  was  time  to  go  to  lunch, 
an  observance  not  to  be  omitted  even  by  con- 
spirators. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  MINE  IS  LAID. 

The  morning  meeting  had  been  devoted  to 
principles  and  to  the  awakening  of  enthusiasm; 
in  the  evening  the  conspirators  condescended 
upon  details,  and  we  held  a  prolonged  and  anx- 
ious conference  at  the  Signorina's.  Mrs.  Car- 
rington  was  commanded  to  have  a  headache 
after  dinner,  and  retired  with  it  to  bed;  and  from 
ten  till  one  we  sat  and  conspired.  The  result 
of  our  deliberations  was  a  very  pretty  plan,  of 
which  the  main  outlines  were  as  follows: 

This  was  Tuesday.  On  Friday  night,  the  Colo- 
nel, with  twenty  determined  ruffians  (or  resolute 
patriots)  previously  bound  to  him,  body  and 
soul,  by  a  donation  of  no  less  than  fifty  dollars 
a  man,  was  to  surprise  the  Golden  House,  seize 
the  person  of  the  President  and  all  cash  and 
securities  on  the  premises;  no  killing  if  it  could 
be  avoided,  but  on  the  other  hand  no  shilly- 
shally. McGregor  wanted  to  put  the  President 
out  of  the  way  at  once,  as  a  precautionary  meas- 


THE  MINE  IS  LAID  71 

ure,  but  I  strongly  opposed  this  proposal,  and, 
finding  the  Signorina  was  absolutely  inflexible 
on  the  same  side,  he  yielded.  I  had  a  strong 
desire  to  be  present  at  this  midnight  surprise, 
but  another  duty  called  for  my  presence.  There 
was  a  gala  supper  at  the  barracks  that  evening, 
to  commemorate  some  incident  or  other  in  the 
national  history,  and  I  was  to  be  present  and 
to  reply  to  the  toast  of  "The  Commerce  of  Aure- 
ataland."  My  task  was,  at  all  hazards,  to  keep 
this  party  going  till  the  Colonel's  job  was  done, 
when  he  would  appear  at  the  soldiers'  quarters, 
bribe  in  hand,  and  demand  their  allegiance.  Our 
knowledge  of  the  character  of  the  troops  made 
us  regard  the  result  as  a  certainty,  if  once  the 
President  were  a  prisoner  and  the  dollars  before 
their  eyes.  The  Colonel  and  the  troops  were 
to  surround  the  officers'  messroom,  and  offer 
them  life  and  largesse,  or  death  and  destruction. 
Here  again  we  anticipated  their  choice  with  com- 
posure. The  army  was  then  to  be  paraded  in 
the  Piazza,  the  town  overawed  or  converted,  and, 
behold,  the  Revolution  was  accomplished!  The 
success  of  this  design  entirely  depended  on  its 
existence  remaining  a  dead  secret  from  the  one 
man  we  feared,  and  on  that  one  man  being 
found  alone  and  unguarded  at  twelve  o'clock  on 
Friday  night.  If  he  discovered  the  plot,  we  were 
lost.  If  he  took  it  into  his  head  to  attend  the 


72  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

supper,  our  difficulties  would  be  greatly  increased. 
At  this  point  we  turned  to  the  Signorina,  and  I 
said,  briefly: 

"This  appears  to  be  where  you  come  in,  Sig- 
norina. Permit  me  to  invite  you  to  dine  with 
his  Excellency  on  Friday  evening,  at  eight  pre- 
cisely." 

"You  mean,"  she  said  slowly,  "that  I  am  to 
keep  him  at  home,  and,  but  for  myself,  alone, 
on  Friday?" 

"Yes,"  said  I.    "Is  there  any  difficulty?" 

"I  do  not  think  there  is  great  difficulty,"  she 
said,  "but  I  don't  like  it;  it  looks  so  treacherous." 

Of  course  it  did.  I  didn't  like  her  doing  it 
myself,  but  how  else  was  the  President  to  be 
secured  ? 

"Rather  late  to  think  of  that,  isn't  it?"  asked 
McGregor,  with  a  sneer.  "A  revolution  won't 
run  on  high  moral  wheels." 

"Think  how  he  jockeyed  you  about  the 
money,"  said  I,  assuming  the  part  of  the  tempter. 

"By  the  way,"  said  McGregor,  "it's  understood 
the  Signorina  enters  into  possession  of  the  Pres- 
ident's country  villa,  isn't  it?" 

Now  my  poor  Signorina  had  a  longing  for 
that  choice  little  retreat,  and  between  resentment 
for  her  lost  money  and  a  desire  for  the  pretty 
house  on  the  one  hand,  and,  on  the  other,  her 
dislike  of  the  Delilah-like  part  she  was  to  play, 


THE  MINE  IS  LAID.  73 

she  was  sore  beset.  Left  to  herself,  I  believe 
she  would  have  yielded  to  her  better  feelings  and 
spoiled  the  plot.  As  it  was,  the  Colonel  and  I, 
alarmed  at  this  recrudescence  of  conscience,  man- 
aged to  stifle  its  promptings,  and  bent  her  to  our 
wicked  will. 

"After  all,  he  deserves  it,"  she  said,  "and  I'll 
do  it!" 

It  is  always  sad  to  see  anybody  suffering  from 
a  loss  of  self-respect,  so  I  tried  to  restore  the 
Signorina's  confidence  in  her  own  motives  by 
references  to  Jael,  the  wife  of  Heber  the  Kenite, 
Charlotte  Corday,  and  such  other  relentless  her- 
oines as  occurred  to  me.  McGregor  looked  upon 
this  striving  after  self-justification  with  undis- 
guised contempt. 

"It's  only  making  a  fool  of  him  again,"  he 
said;  "you've  done  it  before,  you  know!" 

"I'll  do  it,  if  you'll  swear  not  to — to  hurt  him," 
she  said. 

"I've  promised  already,"  he  replied  sullenly; 
"I  won't  touch  him,  unless  he  brings  it  on  him- 
self. If  he  tries  to  kill  me,  I  suppose  I  needn't 
bare  my  breast  to  the  blow?" 

"No,  no,"  I  interposed;  "I  have  a  regard  for 
his  Excellency,  but  we  must  not  let  our  feelings 
betray  us  into  weakness.  He  must  be  taken — 
alive  and  well,  if  possible — but  in  the  last  resort, 
dead  or  alive." 


74  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

"Come,  that's  more  like  sense,"  said  the  Colo- 
nel, approvingly. 

The  Signorina  sighed,  but  opposed  us  no 
longer. 

Returning  to  ways  and  means,  we  arranged 
for  communication  in  case  of  need  during  the 
next  three  days  without  the  necessity  of  meet- 
ing. My  position  as  the  center  of  financial  busi- 
ness in  Whittingham,  made  this  easy;  the  pas- 
sage of  bank  messengers  to  and  fro  would  excite 
little  remark,  and  the  messages  could  easily  be 
so  expressed  as  to  reveal  nothing  to  an  unin- 
structed  eye.  It  was  further  agreed  that  on  the 
smallest  hint  of  danger  reaching  any  one  of  us, 
the  word  should  at  once  be  passed  to  the  others, 
and  we  should  rendezvous  at  the  Colonel's 
"ranch,"  which  lay  some  seven  miles  from  the 
town.  Thence,  in  this  lamentable  case,  escape 
would  be  more  possible. 

"And  now,"  said  the  Colonel,  "if  Martin  will 
hand  over  the  dollars,  I  think  that's  about  all." 

I  had  brought  the  10,000  dollars  with  me.  I 
produced  them  and  put  them  on  the  table,  keep- 
ing a  loving  hand  on  them. 

"You  fully  understand  my  position,  Colonel?" 
I  said.  "This  thing  is  no  use  to  me  unless  I 
receive  at  least  320,000  dollars,  to  pay  back  prin- 
cipal, to  meet  interest,  and  to  replace  another 
small  debt  to  the  bank.  If  I  do  that,  I  shall  be 


THE  MINE  IS  LAID.  75 

left  with  a  net  profit  of  5,000  dollars,  not  an 
extravagant  reward.  If  I  don't  get  that  sum  I 
shall  be  a  defaulter,  revolution  or  no  revolution." 

"I  can't  make  money  if  it's  not  there,"  he  said, 
but  without  his  usual  brusqueness  of  tone.  "But 
to  this  we  agree.  You  are  to  have  first  turn 
at  anything  we  find,  up  to  the  sum  you  name. 
It's  to  be  handed  over  solid  to  you.  The  Sig- 
norina  and  I  take  the  leavings.  You  don't  claim 
to  share  them,  too,  do  you?" 

"No,"  I  said,  "I'm  content  to  be  a  preference 
shareholder.  If  the  money's  found  at  the  Golden 
House,  it's  mine.  If  not,  the  new  Government, 
whatever  it  may  do  as  to  the  rest  of  the  debt, 
will  pay  me  that  sum." 

With  that  I  pushed  my  money  over  to  the 
Colonel. 

"I  expect  the  new  Government  to  be  very 
considerate  to  the  bondholders  all  round,"  said 
the  Colonel,  as  he  pocketed  it  with  a  chuckle. 
"Anyhow,  your  terms  are  agreed,  eh,  Signorina?" 

"Agreed!"  said  she.  "And  I'm  to  have  the 
country  seat?" 

"Agreed!"  said  I.  "And  the  Colonel's  to  be 
President  and  to  have  the  Golden  House  and 
all  that  therein  is." 

"Agreed!  agreed!  agreed!"  chanted  the  Sig- 
norina; "and  that's  quite  enough  business,  and 
it's  very  late  for  me  to  be  entertaining  gentlemen. 


76  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

One  toast,  and  then  good-night  Success  to  the 
Revolution!  To  be  drunk  in  blood-red  wine!" 

As  there  was  no  red  wine,  except  claret,  and 
that  lies  cold  on  the  stomach  at  three  in  the 
morning,  we  drank  it  in  French  brandy.  I  had 
risen  to  go,  when  a  sudden  thought  struck  me. 

"By  Jupiter!  where's  Johnny  Carr?  I  say, 
Colonel,  how  drunk  was  he  last  night?  Do  you 
think  he  remembers  telling  you  about  it?" 

"Yes,"  said  the  Colonel,  "I  expect  he  does  by 
now.  He  didn't  when  I  left  him  this  morning." 

"Will  he  confess  to  the  President?  If  he 
does,  it  might  make  the  old  man  keep  an  unpleas- 
antly sharp  eye  on  you.  He  knows  you  don't 
love  him." 

"Well,  Carr  hasn't  seen  the  President  yet  He 
was  to  stay  at  my  house  over  to-day.  He  was 
uncommon  seedy  this  morning,  and  I  persuaded 
the  doctor  to  give  him  a  composing  draught. 
Fact  is,  I  wanted  him  quiet  till  I'd  had  time  to 
think  You  know  I  don't  believe  he  would  own 
up — the  President  would  drop  on  him  so;  but 
he  might,  and  it's  better  they  shouldn't  meet." 

"There's  somebody  else  he  oughtn't  to  meet," 
said  the  Signorina. 

"Who's  that?"  I  asked. 

"Donna  Antonia,"  she  replied.  "He's  getting 
very  fond  of  her,  and  depend  upon  it,  if  he's 


THE  MINE  IS  LAID.  77 

in  trouble  he'll  go  and  tell  her  the  first  thing. 
Mr.  Carr  is  very  confidential  to  his  friends." 

We  recognized  the  value  of  this  suggestion. 
If  Donna  Antonia  knew,  the  President  would 
soon  know. 

"Quite  right,  said  the  Colonel.  "It  won't  do 
to  have  him  rushing  about  letting  out  that  we 
know  all  about  it.  He's  all  right  up  to  now." 

"Yes,  but  if  he  gets  restive  to-morrow  morn- 
ing?" said  I.  "And  then  you  don't  want  him 
at  the  Golden  House  on  Friday  evening,  and 
I  don't  want  him  at  the  barracks." 

"No,  he'd  show  fight,  Carr  would,"  said  the 
Colonel.  "Look  here,  we're  in  for  this  thing, 
and  I'm  going  through  with  it.  I  shall  keep 
Carr  at  my  house  till  it's  all  over." 

"How?"  asked  the  Signorina. 

"By  love,  if  possible!"  said  the  Colonel,  with 
a  grin — "that  is,  by  drink.  Failing  that,  by 
force.  It's  essential  that  the  old  man  shouldn't 
get  wind  of  anything  being  up;  and  if  Carr  told 
him  about  last  night  he'd  prick  up  his  wicked 
old  ears.  No,  Master  Johnny  is  better  quiet." 

"Suppose  he  turns  nasty,"  I  suggested  again. 

"He  may  turn  as  nasty  as  he  likes,"  said  the 
Colonel.  "He  don't  leave  my  house  unless  he 
puts  a  bullet  into  me  first.  That's  settled.  Leave 
it  to  me.  If  he  behaves  nicely,  he'll  be  all  right. 
If  not—" 


78  A  MAN  OP  MARK. 

"What  shall  you  do  to  him?"  asked  the  Sig- 
norina. 

I  foresaw  another  outburst  of  conscience,  and 
though  I  liked  Johnny,  I  liked  myself  better. 
So  I  said: 

"Oh,  leave  it  to  the  Colonel;  he'll  manage 
all  right." 

"Now  I'm  off,"  said  the  latter,  "back  to  my 
friend  Johnny.  Good-night,  Signorina.  Write 
to  the  President  to-morrow.  Good-night,  Mar- 
tin. Make  that  speech  of  yours  pretty  long.  Au 
revoir  till  next  Friday." 

I  prepared  to  go,  for  the  Colonel  lingered  till 
I  came  with  him.  Even  then  we  so  distrusted 
one  another  that  neither  would  leave  the  other 
alone  with  the  Signorina. 

We  parted  at  the  door,  he  going  off  up  the 
road  to  get  his  horse  to  ride  to  his  "ranch,"  I 
turning  down  toward  the  Piazza. 

We  left  the  Signorina  at  the  door,  looking 
pale  and  weary,  and  for  once  bereft  of  her  high 
spirits.  Poor  girl!  She  found  conspiracy  rather 
trying  work. 

I  was  little  troubled  myself.  I  began  to  see 
more  clearly  that  it  doesn't  do  for  a  man  of 
scruples  to  dabble  in  politics.  I  had  a  great 
regard  for  poor  Johnny,  and  I  felt  no  confidence 
in  the  Colonel  treating  him  with  any  consider- 
ation. In  fact,  I  would  not  have  insured  John- 


THE  MINE  IS  LAID.  79 

ny's  life  for  the  next  week  at  any  conceivable 
premium.  Again  I  thought  it  unlikely  that,  if 
we  succeeded,  the  President  would  survive  his 
downfall.  I  had  to  repeat  to  myself  all  the  story 
of  his  treachery  to  me,  lashing  myself  into  a  fury 
against  him,  before  I  could  bring  myself  to  think 
with  resignation  of  the  imminent  extinction  of 
that  shining  light.  What  a  loss  he  would  be 
to  the  world!  So  many  delightful  stories,  so 
great  a  gift  of  manner,  so  immense  a  personal 
charm — all  to  disappear  into  the  pit!  And  for 
what?  To  put  into  his  place  a  ruffian  without 
redeeming  qualities.  Was  it  worth  while  to  put 
down  Lucifer  only  to  enthrone  Beelzebub?  I 
could  only  check  this  doleful  strain  of  reflection 
by  sternly  recalling  myself  to  the  real  question 
— the  state  of  the  fortunes  of  me,  John  Martin. 
And  to  me  the  Revolution  was  necessary.  I 
might  get  the  money;  at  least  I  should  gain 
time.  And  I  might  satisfy  my  love.  I  was  ani- 
mated by  the  honorable  motive  of  saving  my 
employers  from  loss  and  by  the  overwhelming 
motive  of  my  own  passion.  If  the  continued 
existence  of  Johnny  and  the  President  was  incom- 
patible with  these  legitimate  objects,  so  much 
the  worse  for  Johnny  and  the  President. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

JOHNNY  CARR  IS  WILLFUL. 

The  next  three  days  were  on  the  whole  the 
most  uncomfortable  I  have  ever  spent  in  my  life. 
I  got  little  sleep  and  no  rest;  I  went  about  with 
a  revolver  handy  all  day,  and  jumped  every  time 
I  heard  a  sound.  I  expended  much  change  in 
buying  every  edition  of  all  the  papers;  I  listened 
with  dread  to  the  distant  cries  of  newsvenders, 
fearing,  as  the  words  gradually  became  distin- 
guishable, to  hear  that  our  secret  was  a  secret 
no  longer.  I  was  bound  to  show  myself,  and 
yet  shrank  from  all  gatherings  of  men.  I  trans- 
acted my  business  with  an  absent  mind  and  a 
face  of  such  superhuman  innocence  that,  had  any- 
one been  watching  me,  he  must  at  once  have 
suspected  something  wrong.  I  was  incapable  of 
adding  up  a  row  of  figures,  and  Jones  became 
most  solicitous  about  the  state  of  my  brain.  In 
a  word  my  nerves  were  quite  shattered,  and  I 
registered  a  vow  never  to  upset  a  Government 
again  as  long  as  I  lived.  In  future  the  estab- 
lished constitution  would  have  to  be  good  enough 
for  me.  I  invoked  impartial  curse0;  on  the  Pres- 


JOHNNY  CARR  IS  WILLFUL.  81 

ident,  the  Colonel,  the  Directors,  and  myself; 
and  I  verily  believe  that  only  the  thought  of 
the  Signorina  prevented  me  making  a  moonlight 
flitting  across  the  frontier  with  a  whole  skin  at 
least,  if  with  an  empty  pocket,  and  leaving  the 
rival  patriots  of  Aureataland  to  fight  it  out  among 
themselves. 

Happily,  however,  nothing  occurred  to  justify 
my  fears.  The  other  side  seemed  to  be  sunk  in 
dull  security.  The  President  went  often  to  the 
Ministry  of  Finance,  and  was  closeted  for  hours 
with  Don  Antonio;  I  suppose  they  were  perfect- 
ing their  nefarious  scheme.  There  were  no  signs 
of  excitement  or  activity  at  the  barracks;  the 
afternoon  gatherings  on  the  Piazza,  were  occu- 
pied with  nothing  more  serious  than  the  pros- 
pects of  lawn  tennis  and  the  grievous  dearth  of 
dances.  The  official  announcements  relative  to 
the  debt  had  had  a  quieting  effect,  and  all  classes 
seemed  inclined  to  wait  and  see  what  the  Pres- 
ident's new  plan  was.  . 

So  passed  Wednesday  and  Thursday.  On 
neither  day  had  I  heard  anything  from  my  fellow- 
conspirators;  our  arrangements  for  writing  had 
so  far  proved  unnecessary — or  unsuccessful.  The 
latter  possibility  sent  a  shiver  down  my  back, 
and  my  lively  fancy  pictured  his  Excellency's 
smile  as  he  perused  the  treasonable  documents. 
If  I  heard  nothing  on  the  morning  of  Friday,  I 


82  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

was  determined  at  all  risks  to  see  the  Colonel. 
With  the  dawn  of  that  eventful  day,  however, 
I  was  relieved  of  this  necessity.  I  was  lying  in 
bed  about  half-past  nine  (for  I  never  add  to  the 
woes  of  life  by  early  rising)  when  my  servant 
brought  in  three  letters. 

"Sent  on  from  the  bank,  sir,"  he  said,  "with 
Mr.  Jones'  compliments,  and  are  you  going  there 
this  morning?" 

"My  compliments  to  Mr.  Jones,  and  he  may 
expect  me  in  five  minutes,"  I  replied. 

The  letters  were  all  marked  "Immediate" — 
one  from  the  Signorina,  one  from  the  Colonel, 
one  from  the  barracks.  I  opened  the  last  first 
and  read  as  follows: 

"The  officers  of  the  Aureataland  Army  have 
the  honor  to  remind  Mr.  John  Martin  that  they 
hope  to  have  the  pleasure  of  his  company  at 
supper  this  evening  at  10  p.  m.  precisely.  In 
the  unavoidable  absence  of  his  Excellency  the 
President,  owing  to  pressing  cares  of  state,  and 
of  the  Hon.  Colonel  McGregor  from  indispo- 
sition, the  toast  of  the  Army  of  Aureataland  will 
be  proposed  by  Major  Alphonse  DeChair. 

"P.  S. — Cher  Martin,  speak  long  this  night. 
The  two  great  men  do  not  come,  and  the  even- 
ing wants  to  be  filled  out.  Tout  a  vous, 

"ALPHONSE  DE  CHAIR." 


JOHNNY  CARR  IS  WILLFUL.  83 

"It  shall  be  long,  my  dear  boy,  and  we  will 
fill  out  your  evening  for  you,"  said  I  to  myself, 
well  pleased  so  far. 

Then  I  opened  the  Signorina's  epistle. 

"Dear  Mr.  Martin,"  it  began,— "Will  you  be 
so  Icind  as  to  send  me  in  the  course  of  the  day 
twenty  dollars  in  small  change?  I  want  to  give 
the  school-children  a  scramble.  I  enclose  check. 
I  am  so  sorry  you  could  not  dine  with  me 
to-night,  but  after  all  I  am  glad,  because  I  should 
have  had  to  put  you  off,  for  I  am  commanded 
rather  suddenly  to  dine  at  the  Golden  House. 
With  kind  regards. — Believe  me,  yours  sincerely, 
"CHRISTINA  NUGENT." 

"Very  good,"  said  I.    "I  reckon  the  scramble 
will  keep.    And  now  for  the  Colonel." 
The  Colonel's  letter  ran  thus: 

"Dear  Martin: — I  enclose  check  for  500  dol- 
lars. My  man  will  call  for  the  cash  to-morrow 
morning.  I  give  you  notice  because  I  want  it 
all  in  silver  for  wages."  (Rather  a  poverty  of 
invention  among  us,  I  thought.)  "Carr  and  I 
are  here  together,  both  seedy.  Poor  Carr  is  on 
his  back,  and  likely  to  remain  there  for  a  day 
or  two — bad  attack  of  champagne.  I'm  better, 
and  though  I've  cut  the  affair  at  the  barracks 


84  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

to-night,  I  fully  expect  to  be  up  and  about  this 
afternoon.      Ever  yours, 

"GEO.  M'GREGOR." 

"Oh,  so  Carr  is  on  his  back  and  likely  to 
remain  there,  is  he?  Very  likely,  I  expect;  but 
I  wonder  what  it  means.  I  hope  the  Colonel 
hasn't  been  very  drastic.  However,  everything 
seems  right;  in  fact,  better  than  I  hoped." 

In  this  more  cheerful  frame  of  mind  I  arose, 
breakfasted  at  leisure,  and  set  out  for  the  bank 
about  eleven. 

Of  course  the  first  person  I  met  in  the  street 
was  one  of  the  last  I  wanted  to  meet,  namely, 
Donna  Antonia.  She  was  on  horseback,  and 
her  horse  looked  as  if  he'd  done  some  work. 
At  the  sight  of  me  she  reined  up,  and  I  could 
not  avoid  stopping  as  I  lifted  my  hat 

"Whence  so  early?"  I  asked. 

"Early  ?"  she  said.  "I  don't  call  this  early.  I've 
been  for  a  long  ride;  in  fact,  I've  ridden  over  to 
Mr.  Carr's  place,  with  a  message  from  papa;  but 
he's  not  there.  Do  you  know  where  he  is,  Mr. 
Martin  ?" 

"Haven't  an  idea,"  said  I. 

"He  hasn't  been  home  for  four  nights,"  she 
continued,  "and  he  hasn't  been  to  the  Ministry 
either.  It's  very  odd  that  he  should  disappear  like 
this,  just  when  all  the  business  is  going  on,  too." 


JOHNNY  CARR  IS  WILLFUL.  85 

"What  business,  Donna  Antonia  ?"  I  asked 
blandly. 

She  colored,  recollecting,  no  doubt,  that  the 
business  was  still  a  secret. 

"Oh,  well,  you  know  they're  always  busy  at 
the  Ministry  of  Finance  at  this  time.  It's  the 
time  they  pay  everybody,  isn't  it  ?" 

"It's  the  time  they  ought  to  pay  everybody,"  I 
said. 

"Well,"  she  went  on,  without  noticing  my  cor- 
rection, "at  any  rate  papa  and  the  President  are 
both  very  much  vexed  with  him ;  so  I  offered  to 
make  my  ride  in  his  direction." 

"Where  can  he  be  ?"  I  asked  again. 

"Well,"  she  replied,  "I  believe  he's  at  Colonel 
McGregor's,  and  after  lunch  I  shall  go  over  there. 
I  know  he  dined  there  on  Monday,  and  I  dare- 
say he  stayed  on." 

"No,"  thought  I,  "you  musn't  do  that,  it  might 
be  inconvenient."  So  I  said: 

"I  know  he's  not  there;  I  heard  from  Mc- 
Gregor this  morning,  and  he  says  Carr  left  him 
on  Tuesday.  Why,  how  stupid  I  am  !  The  Col- 
onel says  Carr  told  him  he  was  going  off  for  a 
couple  of  days'  sail  in  his  yacht.  I  expect  he's 
got  contrary  winds,  and  can't  get  back  again." 

"It's  very  bad  of  him  to  go,"  she  said,  "but  no 
doubt  that's  it.  Papa  will  be  angry,  but  he'll  be 
glad  to  know  no  harm  has  come  to  him." 


86  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

"Happy  to  have  relieved  your  mind,"  said  I, 
and  bade  her  farewell,  thanking  my  stars  for  a 
lucky  inspiration,  and  wondering  whether  Don 
Antonio  would  find  no  harm  had  come  to  poor 
Johnny.  I  had  my  doubts.  I  regretted  having  to 
tell  Donna  Antonia  what  I  did  not  believe  to  be 
true,  but  these  things  are  incidental  to  revolu- 
tions, a  point  of  resemblance  between  them  and 
commercial  life. 

When  I  arrived  at  the  bank  I  dispatched  brief 
answers  to  my  budget  of  letters;  each  of  the 
answers  was  to  the  same  purport,  namely,  that 
I  should  be  at  the  barracks  at  the  appointed  time. 
I  need  not  trouble  the  reader  with  the  various 
wrappings  in  which  this  essential  piece  of  intelli- 
gence was  involved.  I  then  had  a  desperate  en- 
counter with  Jones;  business  was  slack,  and  Jones 
was  fired  with  the  unholy  desire  of  seizing  the 
opportunity  thus  offered  to  make  an  exhaustive 
inquiry  into  the  state  of  our  reserve.  He  could 
not  understand  my  sudden  punctiliousness  as  to 
times  and  seasons,  and  I  was  afraid  I  should  have 
to  tell  him  plainly  that  only  over  my  lifeless  body 
should  he  succeed  in  investigating  the  contents 
of  the  safe.  At  last  I  effected  a  diversion  by 
persuading  him  to  give  Mrs.  Jones  a  jaunt  into 
the  country,  and  thus  left  in  peace,  I  spent  my 
afternoon  in  making  final  preparations.  I  burned 
many  letters;  I  wrote  a  touching  farewell  to  my 


JOHNNY  CARR  IS  WILLFUL.  87 

father,  in  which,  under  the  guise  of  offering  for- 
giveness, I  took  occasion  to  point  out  to  him  how 
greatly  his  imprudent  conduct  had  contributed  to 
increase  the  difficulties  of  his  dutiful  son.  I  was 
only  restrained  from  making  a  will  by  the  obvious 
imprudence  of  getting  it  witnessed.  I  spent  a 
feverish  hour  in  firing  imaginary  shots  from  my 
revolver,  to  ascertain  whether  the  instrument  was 
in  working  order.  Finally,  I  shut  up  the  bank  at 
five,  went  to  the  Piazza.,  partook  of  a  light  repast, 
and  smoked  cigars  with  mad  speed  till  it  was  time 
to  dress  for  the  supper;  and  never  was  I  more 
rejoiced  than  when  the  moment  for  action  at  last 
came.  As  I  was  dressing,  lingering  over  each 
garment  with  a  feeling  that  I  might  never  put 
on,  or,  for  that  matter,  take  it  off  again,  I  re- 
ceived a  second  note  from  the  Colonel.  It  was 
brought  by  a  messenger,  on  a  sweating  horse, 
who  galloped  up  to  my  door.  I  knew  the  mes- 
senger well  by  sight;  he  was  the  Colonel's  valet 
My  heart  was  in  my  mouth  as  I  took  the  envelope 
from  his  hands  (for  I  ran  down  myself).  The 
fellow  was  evidently  in  our  secret,  for  he  grinned 
nervously  at  me  as  he  handed  it  over,  and  said: 

"I  was  to  ride  fast,  and  destroy  the  letter  if  any- 
one came  near." 

I  nodded,  and  opened  it    It  said: 

"C.  escaped  about  six  this  evening.    Believed 


88  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

to  have  gone  to  his  house.  He  suspects.  If  you 
see  him,  shoot  on  sight." 

I  turned  to  the  man. 

"Had  Mr.  Carr  a  horse  ?"  I  asked. 

"No,  sir;  left  on  foot." 

"But  there  are  horses  at  his  house  ?'? 

"No,  sir,  the  Colonel  has  borrowed  them  all." 

"Why  do  you  think  he's  gone  there  ?" 

"Couldn't  come  along  the  road  to  Whitting- 
ham,  sir,  it's  patrolled." 

There  was  still  a  chance.  It  was  ten  miles 
across  country  from  the  Colonel's  to  Johnny's, 
and  six  miles  on  from  Johnny's  to  Whittingham. 
The  man  divined  my  thoughts. 

"He  can't  go  fast,  sir,  he's  wounded  in  the  leg. 
If  he  goes  home  first,  as  he  will,  because  he 
doesn't  know  his  horses  are  gone,  he  can't  get 
here  before  eleven  at  the  earliest." 

"How  was  he  wounded?"  I  asked.  "Tell  me 
what  the  Colonel  did  to  him,  and  be  short." 

"Yes,  sir.  The  Colonel  told  us  Mr.  Carr  was 
to  be  kept  at  the  ranch  over  night;  wasn't  to 
leave  it  alive,  sir,  he  said.  Well,  up  to  yesterday 
it  was  all  right  and  pleasant.  Mr.  Carr  wasn't  very 
well,  and  the  doses  the  Colonel  'gave  him  didn't 
seem  to  make  him  any  better — quite  the  con- 
trary. But  yesterday  afternoon  he  got  rampage- 
ous— would  go,  anyhow,  ill  or  well  !  So  he  got 
up  and  dressed.  We'd  taken  all  his  weapons  from 


JOHNNY  CARR  IS  WILLFUL.  89 

him,  sir,  and  when  he  came  down  dressed,  and 
asked  for  his  horse,  we  told  him  he  couldn't  go. 
Well,  he  just  said,  'Get  out  of  the  light,  I  tell 
you/  and  began  walking  toward  the  hall  door. 
I  don't  mind  saying  we  were  rather  put  about, 
sir.  We  didn't  care  to  shoot  him  as  he  stood, 
and  it's  my  belief  we'd  have  let  him  pass;  but 
just  as  he  was  going  out,  in  comes  the  Colonel. 
'Hullo,  what's  this,  Johnny?'  says  he.  'You've 
got  some  damned  scheme  on/  said  Mr.  Carr. 
'I  believe  you've  been  drugging  me.  Out  of  the 
way,  McGregor,  or  I'll  brain  you.'  'Where  are 
you  going?'  says  the  Colonel.  'To  Whitting- 
ham,  to  the  President's/  said  he.  'Not  to-day/ 
says  the  Colonel.  'Come,  be  reasonable,  Johnny. 
You'll  be  all  right  to-morrow.'  'Colonel  Mc- 
Gregor/ says  he,  'I'm  unarmed,  and  you've  got  a 
revolver.  You  can  shoot  me  if  you  like,  but  un- 
less you  do,  I'm  going  out.  You've  been  playing 
some  dodge  on  me,  and,  by  God,  you  shall  pay 
for  it.'  With  that  he  rushed  straight  at  the  Colo- 
nel. The  Colonel,  he  stepped  on  one  side  and 
let  him  pass.  Then  he  went  after  him  to  the  door, 
waited  till  he  was  about  fifteen  yards  off,  then  up 
with  his  revolver,  as  cool  as  you  like,  and  shot 
him  clean  as  a  sixpence  in  the  right  leg.  Down 
came  Mr.  Carr;  he  lay  there  a  minute  or  two 
cursing,  and  then  he  fainted.  'Pick  him  up,  dress 
his  wound,  and  put  him  to  bed/  says  the  Colonel. 


90  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

Well,  sir,  it  was  only  a  flesh  wound,  so  we  soon 
got  him  comfortable,  and  there  he  lay  all  night." 

"How  did  he  get  away  to-day  ?" 

"We  were  all  out,  sir — went  over  to  Mr.  Carr's 
place  to  borrow  his  horses.  The  Colonel  took  a 
message,  sir."  (Here  the  fellow  grinned  again.) 
"I  don't  know  what  it  was.  Well,  when  we'd  got 
the  horses,  we  rode  round  outside  the  town,  and 
came  into  the  road  between  here  and  the  Colo- 
nel's. Ten  horses  we'd  got,  and  we  went  there 
to  give  the  ten  men  who  were  patrolling  the  road 
the  fresh  horses.  We  heard  from  them  that  no 
one  had  come  along.  When  we  got  home,  he'd 
been  gone  two  hours  !" 

"How  did  he  manage  it  !" 

"A  woman,  sir,"  said  my  warrior,  with  supreme 
disgust.  "Gave  her  a  kiss  and  ten  dollars  to 
undo  the  front  door,  and  then  he  was  off  !  He 
daren't  go  to  the  stables  to  get  a  horse,  so  he 
was  forced  to  limp  away  on  his  game  leg.  A 
plucky  one  he  is,  too,"  he  concluded. 

"Poor  old  Johnny,"  said  I.  "You  didn't  go 
after  him  ?" 

"No  time,  sir.  Couldn't  tire  the  horses.  Be- 
sides, when  he'd  once  got  home,  he's  got  a  dozen 
men  there,  and  they'd  have  kept  us  all  night. 
Well,  sir,  I  must  be  off.  Any  answer  for  the  Colo- 
nel? He'll  be  outside  the  Golden  House  by 
eleven,  sir,  and  Mr.  Carr  won't  get  in  if  he  comes 
after  that." 


JOHNNY  CARR  IS  WILLFUL.  91 

"Tell  him  to  rely  on  me,"  I  answered.  But 
for  all  that  I  didn't  mean  to  shoot  Johnny  on 
sight. 

So,  much  perturbed  in  spirit,  I  set  off  to  the  bar- 
racks, wondering  when  Johnny  would  get  to 
Whittingham,  and  whether  he  would  fall  into  the 
Colonel's  hands  outside  the  Golden  House.  It 
struck  me  as  unpleasantly  probable  that  he  might 
come  and  spoil  the  harmony  of  my  evening;  if 
he  came  there  first,  the  conspiracy  would  probably 
lose  my  aid  at  an  early  moment.  What  would 
happen  to  me  I  didn't  know.  But,  as  I  took  off 
my  coat  in  the  lobby,  I  bent  down  as  if  to  tie 
a  shoestring,  and  had  one  more  look  at  my  re- 
volver. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

A  SUPPER  PARTY. 

I  shall  never  forget  that  supper  as  long  as  I 
live.  Considered  merely  as  a  social  gathering  it 
would  be  memorable  enough,  for  I  never  before 
or  since  sat  at  meat  with  ten  such  queer  cus- 
tomers as  my  hosts  of  that  evening.  The  officers 
of  the  Aureataland  army  were  a  very  mixed  lot — 
two  or  three  Spanish  Americans,  three  or  four 
Brazilians,  and  the  balance  Americans  of  the 
type  their  countrymen  are  least  proud  of.  If  there 
was  an  honest  man  among  them  he  sedulously 
concealed  his  title  to  distinction;  I  know  there 
wasn't  a  sober  one.  The  amount  of  liquor  con- 
sumed was  portentous,  and  I  gloated  with  an 
unholy  joy  as  I  saw  man  after  man  rapidly  mak- 
ing himself  what  diplomatists  call  a  quantite  neg- 
ligeable.  The  conversation  needed  all  the  ex- 
cuse the  occasion  could  afford,  and  the  wit  would 
have  appeared  unduly  coarse  in  a  common  pot- 
house. All  this  might  have  passed  from  my  mem- 
ory, or  blended  in  a  subdued  harmony  with  my 
general  impression  of  Aureataland;  but  the  pe- 
culiar position  in  which  I  stood  gave  to  my  mind 


A  SUPPER  PARTY.  93 

an  unusual  activity  of  perception.  Among  this 
band  of  careless  drunken  revelers  I  sat  vigilant, 
restless  and  impatient;  feigning  to  take  a  leading 
part  in  their  dissolute  hilarity,  I  was  sober,  col- 
lected, and  alert  to  my  very  finger-tips.  I  anx- 
iously watched  their  bearing  and  expression.  I 
led  them  on  to  speak  of  the  President,  rejoicing 
when  I  elicited  open  murmurs  and  covert  threats 
at  his  base  ingratitude  to  the  men  on  whose  sup- 
port his  power  rested.  They  had  not  been  paid 
for  six  months,  and  were  ripe  for  any  mischief. 
I  was  more  than  once  tempted  to  forestall  the 
Colonel  and  begin  the  revolution  on  my  own  ac- 
count; only  my  inability  to  produce  before  their 
eyes  any  arguments  of  the  sort  they  would  listen 
to  restrained  me. 

Eleven  o'clock  had  come  and  gone.  The 
Senior  Captain  had  proposed  the  President's 
health.  It  was  drunk  in  sullen  silence;  I  was 
the  only  man  who  honored  it  by  rising  from  his 
seat. 

The  Major  had  proposed  the  army,  and  they 
had  drunk  deep  to  their  noble  selves.  A  young 
man  of  weak  expression  and  quavering  legs  had 
proposed,  "The  commerce  of  Aureataland," 
coupled  with  the  name  of  Mr.  John  Martin,  in 
laudatory  but  incoherent  terms,  and  I  was  on  my 
legs  replying.  Oh,  that  speech  of  mine  !  For 
discursiveness,  for  repetition,  for  sheer  inanity, 
I  suppose  it  has  never  been  equaled.  I  droned 


94  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

steadily  away,  interrupted  only  by  cries  for  fresh 
supplies  of  wine ;  as  I  went  on  the  audience  paid 
less  and  less  attention.  It  was  past  twelve.  The 
well  of  my  eloquence  was  running  drier  and  drier, 
and  yet  no  sound  outside  !  I  wondered  how  long 
they  would  stand  it  and  how  long  I  could  stand 
it.  At  12:15  I  began  my  peroration.  Hardly  had 
I  done  so,  when  one  of  the  young  men  started 
in  a  gentle  voice  an  utterly  indescribable  ditty. 
One  by  one  they  took  it  up,  till  the  rising  tide 
of  voices  drowned  my  fervent  periods.  Perforce 
I  stopped.  They  were  all  on  their  feet  now.  Did 
they  mean  to  break  up?  In  despair  at  the  idea 
I  lifted  up  my  voice,  loud  and  distinct  (the  only 
distinct  voice  left  in  the  room),  in  the  most  shame- 
ful verse  of  that  shameful  composition,  and  seiz- 
ing my  neighbor's  hand  began  to  move  slowly 
round  the  table.  The  move  was  successful.  Each 
man  followed  suit,  and  the  whole  party,  kicking 
back  their  chairs,  revolved  with  lurching  steps 
round  the  debris  of  empty  bottles  and  cigar  ashes. 
The  room  was  thick  with  smoke,  and  redolent 
of  fumes  of  wine.  Mechanically  I  led  the  chorus, 
straining  every  nerve  to  hear  a  sound  from  out- 
side. I  was  growing  dizzy  with  the  movement, 
and,  overwrought  with  the  strain  on  my  nerves, 
I  knew  a  few  minutes  more  would  be  the  limit 
of  endurance,  when  at  last  I  heard  a  loud  shout 
and  tumult  of  voices. 


A  SUPPER  PARTY.  95 

"What's  that  ?"  exclaimed  the  Major,  in  thick 
tones,  pausing  as  he  spoke. 

I  dropped  his  hand,  and  seizing  my  revolver, 
said: 

"Some  drunken  row  in  barracks,  Major.  Let 
'em  alone." 

"I  must  go,"  he  said.  "Character — Aureata- 
land — army — at  stake." 

"Set  a  thief  to  catch  a  thief,  eh,  Major  ?"  said  I. 

"What  do  you  mean,  sir  ?"  he  stuttered.  "Let 
me  go." 

"If  you  move,  I  shoot,  Major,"  said  I,  bringing 
out  my  weapon.  I  never  saw  greater  astonish- 
ment on  human  countenance.  He  swore  loudly, 
and  then  cried: 

"Hi,  stop  him — he's  mad — he's  going  to 
shoot  !" 

A  shout  of  laughter  rose  from  the  crew  around 
us,  for  they  felt  exquisite  appreciation  of  my  sup- 
posed joke. 

"Right  you  are,  Martin,"  cried  one.  "Keep 
him  quiet.  We  won't  go  home  till  morning  !" 

The  Major  turned  to  the  window.  It  was  a 
moonlight  night,  and  as  I  looked  with  him  I  saw 
the  courtyard  full  of  soldiers.  Who  was  in  com- 
mand ?  The  answer  to  that  meant  much  to  me. 

This  sight  somewhat  sobered  the  Major. 

"A  mutiny  !"  he  cried.  "The  soldiers  have 
risen  !" 


96  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

"Go  to  bed,"  said  the  junior  ensign. 

"Look  out  of  window  !"  he  cried. 

They  all  staggered  to  the  window.  As  the 
soldiers  saw  them,  they  raised  a  shout.  I  could 
not  distinguish  whether  it  was  a  greeting  or  a 
threat.  They  took  it  as  the  latter,  and  turned  to 
the  door. 

"Stop  !"  I  cried;  "I  shoot  the  first  man  who 
opens  the  door." 

In  wonder  they  turned  on  me.  I  stood  facing 
them,  revolver  in  hand.  They  waited  huddled 
together  for  an  instant,  then  made  a  rush  at  me; 
I  fired,  but  missed.  I  had  a  vision  of  a  poised 
decanter;  a  second  later,  the  missile  caught  me 
in  the  chest,  and  hurled  me  back  against  the  wall. 
As  I  fell  I  dropped  my  weapon,  and  they  were 
upon  me.  I  thought  it  was  all  over ;  but  as  they 
surged  round,  in  the  madness  of  drink  and  anger, 
I,  looking  through  their  ranks,  saw  the  door 
open  and  a  crowd  of  men  rush  in.  Who  was 
at  their  head  ?  Thank  God,  it  was  the  Colonel, 
and  his  voice  rose  high  above  the  tumult — 

"Order,  gentlemen,  order."  Then  to  his  men 
he  added: 

"Each  mark  your  man,  and  two  of  you  bring 
Mr.  Martin  here." 

I  was  saved.  To  explain  how,  I  must  explain 
what  had  been  happening  at  the  Golden  House, 
and  how  the  night  attack  had  fared. 


CHAPTER  X. 

TWO  SURPRISES. 

It  is  a  sad  necessity  that  compels  us  to  pry  into 
the  weaknesses  of  our  fellow-creatures,  and  seek 
to  turn  them  to  our  own  profit.  I  am  not  philoso- 
pher enough  to  say  whether  this  course  of  con- 
duct derives  any  justification  from  its  universality, 
but  in  the  region  of  practice  I  have  never  hesi- 
tated to  place  myself  on  a  moral  level  with  those 
with  whom  I  had  to  deal.  I  may  occasionally 
even  have  left  the  other  party  to  make  this  need^ 
ful  adjustment,  and  I  have  never  known  him 
fail  to  do  so.  I  felt,  therefore,  very  little  scruple 
in  making  use  of  the  one  weak  spot  discoverable 
in  the  defenses  of  our  redoubtable  opponent,  his 
Excellency,  the  President  of  Aureataland.  No 
doubt  the  reader's  eye  has  before  now  detected 
the  joint  in  that  great  man's  armor  at  which  we 
directed  our  missile.  As  a  lover,  I  grudged  the 
employment  of  the  Signorina  in  this  service;  as  a 
politician,  I  was  proud  of  the  device;  as  a  human 
being,  I  recognized  what  we  are  very  ready  to 
recognize,  that  it  did  not  become  me  to  refuse 


98  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

to  work  with  such  instruments  as  appeared  to  be 
put  into  my  hands. 

But  whatever  may  be  the  verdict  of  moralists 
on  our  device,  events  proved  its  wisdom.  The 
President  had  no  cause  to  suspect  a  trap;  there- 
fore, like  a  sensible  man,  he  chose  to  spend  the 
evening  with  the  Signorina  rather  than  with  his 
gallant  officers.  With  equally  good  taste,  he 
elected  to  spend  it  tete-a-tete  with  her,  when  she 
gave  him  the  opportunity.  In  our  subsequent 
conversations,  the  Signorina  was  not  communi- 
cative as  to  how  the  early  hours  of  the  evening 
passed.  She  preferred  to  begin  her  narrative  from 
the  point  when  their  solitude  was  interrupted.  As 
I  rely  on  her  account  and  that  of  the  Colonel 
for  this  part  of  the  story,  I  am  compelled  to  make 
my  start  from  the  same  moment.  It  appears  that 
at  a  few  minutes  past  eleven  o'clock,  when  the 
President  was  peacefully  smoking  a  cigar  and 
listening  to  the  conversation  of  his  fair  guest 
(whom  he  had  galvanized  into  an  affected  liveli- 
ness by  alarming  remarks  on  her  apparent  pre- 
occupation), there  fell  upon  his  ear  the  sound  of 
a  loud  knocking  at  the  door.  Dinner  had  been 
served  in  a  small  room  at  the  back  of  the  house, 
and  the  President  could  not  command  a  view  of 
the  knocker  without  going  out  onto  the  veranda, 
which  ran  all  round  the  house,  and  walking  round 


TWO  SURPRISES.  99 

to  the  front.  When  the  knock  was  heard,  the 
Signorina  started  up. 

"Don't  disturb  yourself,  pray,"  said  his  Excel- 
lency politely.  "I  gave  special  instructions  that 
I  was  visible  to  no  one  this  evening.  But  I  was 
wondering  whether  it  could  be  Johnny  Carr.  I 
want  to  speak  to  him  for  a  moment,  and  I'll  just 
go  round  outside  and  see  if  it  is." 

As  he  spoke,  a  discreet  tap  was  heard  at  the 
door. 

"Yes  ?"  said  the  President. 

"Mr.  Carr  is  at  the  door  and  particularly  wants 
to  see  your  Excellency.  An  urgent  matter,  he 
says." 

"Tell  him  I'll  come  round  and  speak  to  him 
from  the  veranda,"  replied  the  President. 

He  turned  to  the  window,  and  threw  it  open  to 
step  out. 

Let  me  tell  what  followed  in  the  Signorina's 
words. 

"Just  then  we  heard  a  sound  of  a  number  of 
horses  galloping  up.  The  President  stopped,  and 
said: 

"'Hullo,  what's  up?' 

"Then  there  was  a  shout  and  a  volley  of  shots, 
and  I  heard  the  Colonel's  voice  cry: 

"  'Down  with  your  arms;  down,  I  say,  or  you're 
dead  men!' 

"The   President   stepped   quickly    across   the 


100  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

room  to  his  escritoire,  took  up  his  revolver,  went 
back  to  the  window,  passed  through  it,  and  with- 
out a  word  disappeared.  I  could  not  hear  even 
the  sound  of  his  feet  on  the  veranda. 

"I  heard  one  more  shot — then  a  rush  of  men 
to  the  door,  and  the  Colonel  burst  in,  with  sword 
and  revolver  in  his  hands,  and  followed  by  ten 
or  a  dozen  men. 

"I  ran  to  him,  terrified,  and  cried: 

"  'Oh,  is  anyone  hurt  ?' 

"He  took  no  notice,  but  asked  hastily: 

"  'Where  is  he  ?' 

"I  pointed  to  the  veranda,  and  gasped: 

"  'He  went  out  there.'  Then  I  turned  to  one 
of  the  men  and  said  again: 

"  'Is  anyone  hurt  ?' 

"  'Only  Mr.  Carr,'  he  replied.  The  rest  of  'em 
were  a  precious  sight  too  careful  of  themselves.' 

"  'And  is  he  killed  ?' 

"  'Don't  think  he's  dead,  miss,'  he  said.  'But 
he's  hurt  badly.' 

"As  I  turned  again,  I  saw  the  President  stand- 
ing quite  calmly  in  the  window.  When  the  Colo- 
nel saw  him,  he  raised  his  revolver  and  said: 

"  'Do  you  yield,  General  Whittingham  ?  We  are 
twelve  to  one.' 

"As  he  spoke,  every  man  covered  the  President 
with  his  aim.  The  latter  stood  facing  the  twelve 
revolvers,  his  own  weapon  hanging  loosely  in  his 


TWO  SURPRISES.  101 

left  hand.  Then,  smiling,  he  said  a  little  bit- 
terly: 

"  'Heroics  are  not  in  my  line,  McGregor.  I 
suppose  this  is  a  popular  rising — that  is  to  say, 
you  have  bribed  my  men,  murdered  my  best 
friend,  and  beguiled  me  with  the  lures  of  that — " 

"I  could  not  bear  the  word  that  hung  on  his 
lips,  and  with  a  sob  I  fell  on  a  sofa  and  hid  my 
face. 

"  'Well,  we  musn't  use  hard  names,'  he  went 
on  in  a  gentler  tone.  'We  are  all  as  God  made 
us.  I  give  in,'  and,  throwing  down  his  weapon, 
he  asked,  'Have  you  quite  killed  Carr  ?' 

"  'I  don't  know,'  said  the  Colonel,  implying 
pfainly  that  he  did  not  care  either. 

"  'I  suppose  it  was  you  that  shot  him  ?' 

"The  Colonel  nodded. 

"The  President  yawned  and  looked  at  his 
watch. 

"  'As  I  have  no  part  in  to-night's  performance,' 
said  he,  'I  presume  I  am  at  liberty  to  go  to  bed  ?' 

"The  Colonel  said,  curtly: 

"  'Where's  the  bedroom  ?' 

"  'In  there,'  said  the  President,  waving  his  hand 
to  a  door  facing  that  by  which  the  Colonel  had 
entered. 

"  'Permit  me,'  said  the  latter.  He  went  in,  no 
doubt  to  see  if  there  were  any  other  egress.  Re- 
turning shortly,  he  said: 


102  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

"  'My  men  must  stay  here,  and  you  must  leave 
the  door  open.' 

"  'I  have  no  objection,'  said  the  President.  'No 
doubt  they  will  respect  my  modesty.' 

"  'Two  of  you  stay  in  this  room.  Two  of  you 
keep  watch  in  the  veranda,  one  at  this  window, 
the  other  at  the  bedroom  window.  I  shall  put 
three  more  sentries  outside.  General  Whitting- 
ham  is  not  to  leave  this  room.  If  you  hear  or  see 
anything  going  on  in  there,  go  in  and  put  him 
under  restraint.  Otherwise  treat  him  with  re- 
spect.' 

"  'I  thank  you  for  your  civility,"  said  the  Presi- 
dent, 'also  for  the  compliment  implied  in  these 
precautions.  Is  it  over  this  matter  of  the  debt 
that  your  patriotism  has  drawn  you  into  revolt  ?' 

"  'I  see  no  use  in  discussing  public  affairs  at 
this  moment,'  the  Colonel  replied.  'And  my  pres- 
ence is  required  elsewhere.  I  regret  that  I  cannot 
relieve  you  of  the  presence  of  these  men,  but  I 
do  not  feel  I  should  be  justified  in  accepting  your 
parole." 

"The  President  did  not  seem  to  be  angered  at 
this  insult. 

"  'I  have  not  offered  it,'  he  said  simply.  'It  is 
better  you  should  take  your  own  measures.  Need 
I  detain  you,  Colonel  ?' 

"The  Colonel  did  not  answer  him,  but  turned 
to  me  and  said: 


TWO  SURPRISES.  103 

"  'Signorina  Nugent,  we  wait  only  for  you,  and 
time  is  precious.' 

"  'I  will  follow  you  in  a  moment,'  I  said,  with 
my  head  still  among  the  cushions. 

"  'No,  come  now,'  he  commanded. 

"Looking  up,  I  saw  a  smile  on  the  President's 
face.  As  I  rose  reluctantly,  he  also  got  up  from 
the  chair  into  which  he  had  flung  himself,  and 
stopped  me  with  a  gesture.  I  was  terribly  afraid 
that  he  was  going  to  say  something  hard  to  me, 
but  his  voice  only  expressed  a  sort  of  amused 
pity. 

"  'The  money,  was  it,  Signorina  ?'  he  said. 
'Young  people  and  beautiful  people  should  not 
be  mercenary.  Poor  child,  you  had  better  have 
stood  by  me.' 

"I  answered  him  nothing,  but  went  out  with 
the  Colonel,  leaving  him  seated  again  in  his  chair, 
surveying  with  some  apparent  amusement  the 
two  threatening  sentries  who  stood  at  the  door. 
The  Colonel  hurried  me  out  of  the  house,  saying: 

"  'We  must  ride  to  the  barracks.  If  the  news 
gets  there  before  us,  they  may  cut  up  rough.  You 
go  home.  Your  work  is  done.' 

"So  they  mounted  and  rode  away,  leaving  me 
in  the  road.  There  were  no  signs  of  any  struggle, 
except  the  door  hanging  loose  on  its  hinges,  and 
a  drop  or  two  of  blood  on  the  steps  where  they 
had  shot  poor  Johnny  Carr.  I  went  straight 


104  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

home,  and  what  happened  in  the  next  few  hours 
at  the  Golden  House  I  don't  know,  and,  know- 
ing how  I  left  the  President,  I  cannot  explain.  I 
went  home,  and  cried  till  I  thought  my  heart 
would  break." 

Thus  far  the  Signorina.  I  must  beg  to  call 
special  attention  to  the  closing  lines  of  her  narra- 
tive. But  before  I  relate  the  very  startling  occur- 
rence to  which  she  refers,  we  must  return  to  the 
barracks,  where,  it  will  be  remembered,  matters 
were  in  a  rather  critical  condition.  When  the 
officers  saw  their  mess-room  suddenly  filled  with 
armed  men,  and  heard  the  alarming  order  issued 
by  the  Colonel,  their  attention  was  effectually 
diverted  from  me.  They  crowded  together  on  one 
side  of  the  table,  facing  the  Colonel  and  his  men 
on  the  other.  Assisted  by  the  two  men  sent  to 
my  aid,  I  seized  the  opportunity  to  push  my  way 
through  them  and  range  myself  by  the  side  of 
my  leader.  After  a  moment's  pause  the  Colonel 
began : 

"The  last  thing  we  should  desire,  gentlemen," 
he  said,  "is  to  resort  to  force.  But  the  time  for 
explanation  is  short.  The  people  of  Aureataland 
have  at  last  risen  against  the  tyranny  they  have 
so  long  endured.  General  Whittingham  has 
proved  a  traitor  to  the  cause  of  freedom;  he 
won  his  position  in  the  name  of  liberty;  he 
has  used  it  to  destroy  liberty.  The  voice  of  the 


TWO  SURPRISES.  105 

people  has  declared  him  to  have  forfeited  his  high 
office.  The  people  have  placed  in  my  hand  the 
sword  of  vengeance.  Armed  with  this  mighty 
sanction,  I  have  appealed  to  the  army.  The  army 
has  proved  true  to  its  traditions — true  to  its  char- 
acter of  the  protector,  not  the  oppressor,  of  the 
people.  Gentlemen,  will  you  who  lead  the  army 
take  your  proper  place  ?" 

There  was  no  reply  to  this  moving  appeal.  He 
advanced  closer  to  them,  and  went  on: 

"There  is  no  middle  way.  You  are  patriots 
or  traitors — friends  of  liberty  or  friends  of  tyranny. 
I  stand  here  to  offer  you  either  a  traitor's  death, 
or,  if  you  will,  life,  honor  and  the  satisfaction  of 
all  your  just  claims.  Do  you  mistrust  the  people  ? 
I,  as  their  representative,  here  offer  you  every 
just  due  the  people  owe  you — debts  which  had 
long  been  paid  but  for  the  greed  of  that  great 
traitor." 

As  he  said  this  he  took  from  his  men  some  bags 
of  money,  and  threw  them  on  the  table  with  a 
loud  chink. 

Major  DeChair  glanced  at  the  bags,  and 
glanced  at  his  comrades,  and  said: 

"In  the  cause  of  liberty  God  forbid  we  should 
be  behind  !  Down  with  the  tyrant !" 

And  all  the  pack  yelped  in  chorus  ! 

"Then,  gentlemen,  to  the  head  of  your  men," 


106  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

said  the  Colonel,  and  going  to  the  window,  he 
cried  to  the  throng: 

"Men,  your  noble  officers  are  with  us." 

A  cheer  answered  him.  I  wiped  my  forehead, 
and  said  to  myself,  "That's  well  over." 

I  will  not  weary  the  reader  with  our  further 
proceedings.  Suffice  to  say  we  marshaled  our 
host  and  marched  down  to  the  Piazza.  The  news 
had  spread  by  now,  and  in  the  dimly-breaking 
morning  light  we  saw  the  Square  full  of  people — 
men,  women  and  children.  As  we  marched  in 
there  was  a  cheer,  not  very  hearty — a  cheer  propi- 
tiatory, for  they  did  not  know  what  we  meant  to 
do.  The  Colonel  made  them  a  brief  speech, 
promising  peace,  security,  liberty,  plenty  and  all 
the  goods  of  heaven.  In  a  few  stern  words  he 
cautioned  them  against  "treachery,"  and  an- 
nounced that  any  rebellion  against  the  Provi- 
sional government  would  meet  with  swift  punish- 
ment Then  he  posted  his  army  in  companies, 
to  keep  watch  till  all  was  quiet.  And  at  last  he 
said: 

"Now,  Martin,  come  back  to  the  Golden 
House,  and  let's  put  that  fellow  in  a  safe  place." 

"Yes,"  said  I,  "and  have  a  look  for  the  money." 
For  really  in  the  excitement  it  seemed  as  if  there 
was  a  danger  of  the  most  important  thing  of  all 
being  forgotten. 

The  dawn  was  now  far  advanced,  and  as  we 


TWO  SURPRISES.  107 

left  the  Piazza,  we  could  see  the  Golden  House 
at  the  other  end  of  the  avenue.  All  looked  quiet, 
and  the  sentries  were  gently  pacing  to  and  fro. 
Drawing  nearer,  we  saw  two  or  three  of  the 
President's  servants  busied  about  their  ordinary 
tasks.  One  woman  was  already  deleting  Johnny 
Carr's  life-blood  with  a  mop  and  a  pail  of  water; 
and  a  carpenter  was  at  work  repairing  the  front 
door.  Standing  by  it  was  a  doctor's  brougham. 

"Come  to  see  Carr,  I  suppose,"  said  I. 

Leaving  our  horses  to  the  care  of  the  men 
who  were  with  us,  we  entered  the  house.  Just 
inside  we  met  the  doctor  himself.  He  was  a 
shrewd  little  fellow,  named  Anderson,  generally 
popular,  and,  though  a  personal  friend  of  the 
President's,  not  openly  identified  with  either  po- 
litical party. 

"I  have  a  request  to  make  to  you,  sir,"  he  said 
to  McGregor,  "about  Mr.  Carr." 

"Well,  is  he  dead  ?"  said  the  Colonel.  "If  he 
is,  he's  got  only  himself  to  thank  for  it." 

The  doctor  wisely  declined  to  discuss  this  ques- 
tion, and  confined  himself  to  stating  that  he  was 
not  dead.  On  the  contrary,  he  was  going  on 
nicely. 

"But,"  he  went  on,  "quiet  is  essential,  and  I 
want  to  take  him  to  my  house,  out  of  the  racket. 
No  doubt  it  is  pretty  quiet  here  now,  but — " 

The  Colonel  interrupted: 


108  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

"Will  he  give  his  parole  not  to  escape  ?" 

"My  dear  sir,"  said  the  doctor,  "the  man 
couldn't  move  to  save  his  life — and  he's  asleep 
now." 

"You  must  wake  him  up  to  move  him,  I  sup- 
pose," said  the  Colonel.  "But  you  may  take  him. 
Let  me  know  when  he's  well  enough  to  see  me. 
Meanwhile,  I  hold  you  responsible  for  his  good 
behavior." 

"Certainly,"  said  the  doctor.  "I  am  content 
to  be  responsible  for  Mr.  Carr." 

"All  right;  take  him  and  get  out  Now  for 
iWhittingham  !" 

"Hadn't  we  better  get  the  money  first  ?"  said  I. 

"Damn  the  money  !"  he  replied.  "But  I  tell 
you  what — I  must  have  a  bit  of  food.  I've  tasted 
nothing  for  twelve  hours." 

One  of  the  servants,  hearing  him,  said: 

"Breakfast  can  be  served  in  a  moment,  sir." 
And  he  ushered  us  into  the  large  dining-room, 
where  we  soon  had  an  excellent  meal. 

When  we  had  got  through  most  of  it,  I  broke 
the  silence  by  asking: 

"What  are  you  going  to  do  with  him  ?" 

"I  should  like  to  shoot  him,"  said  the  Colo- 
nel. 

"On  what  charge  ?" 

"Treachery,"  he  replied. 

I  smiled. 


TWO  SURPRISES.  109 

"That  would  hardly  do,  would  it  ?" 

"Well,  then  embezzlement  of  public  funds." 

We  had  a  little  talk  about  the  President's  des- 
tiny, and  I  tried  to  persuade  the  Colonel  to 
milder  measures.  In  fact,  I  was  determined  to 
prevent  such  a  murder  if  I  could  without  ruin 
to  myself. 

"Well,  we'll  consider  it  when  we've  seen  him," 
said  the  Colonel,  rising  and  lighting  his  cigarette. 
"By  Jove  !  we've  wasted  an  hour  breakfasting — 
it's  seven  o'clock." 

I  followed  him  along  the  path,  and  we  entered 
the  little  room  where  we  had  left  the  President. 
The  sentries  were  still  there,  each  seated  in  an 
armchair.  They  were  not  asleep,  but  looked  a 
little  drowsy. 

"All  right?"  said  the  Colonel. 

"Yes,  Excellency,"  said  one  of  them.  "He  is  in 
there  in  bed." 

He  went  into  the  inner  room  and  began  to 
undo  the  shutters,  letting  in  the  early  sun. 

We  passed  through  the  half-opened  door  and 
saw  a  peaceful  figure  lying  in  the  bed,  whence 
proceeded  a  gentle  snore. 

"Good  nerve,  hasn't  he  ?"  said  the  Colonel. 

"Yes;  but  what  a  queer  nightcap,"  I  said,  for 
the  President's  head  was  swathed  in  white  linen. 

The  President  strode  quickly  up  to  the  bed. 

"Done,  by  hell !"  he  cried.     "It's  Johnny  Carr !" 


110  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

It  was  true;  there  lay  Johnny.  His  Excellency 
was  nowhere  to  be  seen. 

The  Colonel  shook  Johnny  roughly  by  the  arm. 
The  latter  opened  his  eyes  and  said,  sleepily: 

"Steady  there  !  Kindly  remember  I'm  a  trifle 
fragile." 

"What's  this  infernal  plot  ?  Where's  Whitting- 
ham  ?» 

"Ah,  it's  McGregor,"  said  Johnny  with  a  bland 
smile,  "and  Martin.  How  are  you,  old  fellow  ? 
Some  beast's  hit  me  on  the  head." 

"Where's  Whittingham?"  reiterated  the  Colo- 
nel savagely  shaking  Johnny's  arm. 

"Gently  !"  said  I;  "after  all,  he's  a  sick  man." 

The  Colonel  dropped  the  arm  with  a  muttered 
oath,  and  Johnny  said  sweetly: 

"Quits,  isn't  it,  Colonel  ?" 

The  Colonel  turned  from  him,  and  said  to  his 
men  sternly: 

"Have  you  had  any  hand  in  this  ?" 

They  protested  vehemently  that  they  were  as 
astonished  as  we  were;  and  so  they  were,  unless 
they  acted  consummately.  They  denied  that  any- 
one had  entered  the  outer  room  or  that  any  sound 
had  proceeded  from  the  inner.  They  swore  they 
had  kept  vigilant  watch,  and  must  have  seen  any 
intruder.  Both  the  men  inside  were  the  Colonel's 
personal  servants,  and  he  believed  in  their  hon- 
esty, but  what  of  their  vigilance? 


TWO  SURPRISES.  Ill 

Carr  heard  him  sternly  questioning  them,  and 
said: 

"Those  chaps  aren't  to  blame,  Colonel.  I  didn't 
come  in  that  way.  If  you'll  take  a  look  behind 
the  bed,  you'll  see  another  door.  They  brought 
me  in  there.  I  was  rather  queer  and  only  half 
knew  what  was  up." 

We  looked  and  saw  a  door  where  he  said. 
Pushing  the  bed  aside,  we  opened  it,  and  found 
ourselves  on  the  back  staircase  of  the  premises. 
Clearly  the  President  had  noiselessly  opened  this 
door  and  got  out.  But  how  had  Carr  got  in  with- 
out noise  ?" 

The  sentry  came  up,  saying: 

"Every  five  minutes,  sir,  I  looked  and  saw  him 
on  the  bed.  He  lay  for  the  first  hour  in  his 
clothes.  The  next  look,  he  was  undressed.  It 
struck  me  he'd  been  pretty  quick  and  quiet  about 
it,  but  I  thought  no  more." 

"Depend  on  it,  the  dressed  man  was  the  Presi- 
dent, the  undressed  man  Carr  !  When  was  that  ?" 

"About  half-past  two,  sir;  just  after  the  doctor 
came." 

"The  doctor  !"  we  cried. 

"Yes,  sir;  Doctor  Anderson." 

"You  never  told  me  he  had  been  here." 

"He  never  went  into  the  President's — into 
General  Whittingham's  room,  sir;  but  he  came  in 
here  for  five  minutes,  to  get  some  brandy,  and 


112  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

stood  talking  with  us  for  a  time.  Half-an-hour 
after,  he  came  in  for  some  more." 

We  began  to  see  how  it  was  done.  That 
wretched  little  doctor  was  in  the  plot  Somehow 
or  other  he  had  communicated  with  the  Presi- 
dent; probably  he  knew  of  the  door.  Then,  I 
fancied,  they  must  have  worked  something  in  this 
way.  The  doctor  comes  in  to  distract  the  sentries, 
while  his  Excellency  moves  the  bed.  Finding  that 
they  took  a  look  every  five  minutes,  he  told  the 
President.  Then  he  went  and  got  Johnny  Carr 
ready.  Returning,  he  takes  the  President's  place 
on  the  bed,  and  in  that  character  undergoes  an  in- 
spection. The  moment  this  is  over  he  leaps  up 
and  goes  out.  Between  them  they  bring  in  Carr, 
put  him  into  bed,  and  slip  out  through  the  narrow 
space  of  open  door  behind  the  bedstead.  When 
all  was  done,  the  doctor  had  come  back  to  see 
if  any  suspicion  had  been  aroused. 

"I  have  it  now  !"  cried  the  Colonel.  "That  in- 
fernal doctor's  done  us  both.  He  couldn't  get 
Whittingham  out  of  the  house  without  leave,  so 
he's  taken  him  as  Carr!  Swindled  me  into  giving 
my  leave.  Ah,  look  out  if  we  meet,  Mr.  Doctor!" 

We  rushed  out  of  the  house  and  found  this  con- 
jecture was  true.  The  man  who  purported  to  be 
Carr  had  been  carried  out,  enveloped  in  blankets, 
just  as  we  sat  down  to  breakfast;  the  doctor  had 


"  As  we  drew  rein  on  the  quay,  we  saw  the  yacht  half  a 
mile  out  to  sea." 


TWO  SURPRISES.  113 

put  him  into  the  carriage,  followed  himself,  and 
driven  rapidly  away. 

"Which  way  did  they  go?" 

"Toward  the  harbor,  sir,"  the  sentry  replied. 

The  harbor  could  be  reached  in  twenty  minutes' 
fast  driving.  Without  a  word  the  Colonel  sprang 
on  his  horse;  I  imitated  him,  and  we  galloped  as 
hard  as  we  could,  everyone  making  way  before 
our  furious  charge.  Alas!  we  were  too  late. 
As  we  drew  rein  on  the  quay  we  saw,  half-a-mile 
out  to  sea,  and  sailing  before  a  stiff  breeze, 
Johnny  Carr's  little  yacht,  with  the  Atireataland 
flag  floating  defiantly  at  her  mast-head. 

We  gazed  at  it  blankly,  with  never  a  word  to 
say,  and  turned  our  horses'  heads.  Our  attention 
was  attracted  by  a  small  group  of  men  standing 
round  the  storm-signal  post.  As  we  rode  up,  they 
hastily  scattered,  and  we  saw  pinned  to  the  post 
a  sheet  of  notepaper.  Thereon  was  written  in  a 
well-known  hand: 

"I,  Marcus  W.  Whittingham,  President  of  the 
Republic  of  Aureataland,  hereby  offer  a  Reward 
of  Five  Thousand  Dollars  and  a  Free  Pardon 
to  any  person  or  persons  assisting  in  the  Capture, 
Alive  or  Dead,  of  George  McGregor  (late  Colonel 
in  the  Aureataland  Army)  and  John  Martin,  Bank 
Manager,  and  I  do  further  proclaim  the  said 
George  McGregor  and  John  Martin  to  be  traitors 


114  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

and  rebels  against  the  Republic,  and  do  pro- 
nounce their  lives  forfeited.  Which  sentence  let 
every  loyal  citizen  observe  at  his  peril. 

"MARCUS  W.  WHITTINGHAM, 
"President" 

Truly  this  was  pleasant ! 


CHAPTER  XL 

DIVIDING    THE    SPOILS. 

The  habit  of  reading  having  penetrated,  a»  we 
are  told,  to  all  classes  of  the  community,  I  am 
not  without  hope  that  some  who  peruse  this 
chronicle  will  be  able,  from  personal  experience, 
to  understand  the  feelings  of  a  man  when  ht  first 
finds  a  reward  offered  for  his  apprehension.  It 
is  true  that  our  police  are  not  in  the  habit  of 
imitating  the  President's  naked  brutality  by  ex- 
pressly adding  "Alive  or  Dead,"  but  I  am  in- 
formed that  the  law,  in  case  of  need,  leaves  the 
alternative  open  to  the  servants  of  justice.  I  am 
not  ashamed  to  confess  that  my  spirits  were  rather 
dashed  by  his  Excellency's  Parthian  shot,  and  I 
could  see  that  the  Colonel  himself  was  no  less 
perturbed.  The  escape  of  Fleance  seemed  to 
Macbeth  to  render  his  whole  position  unsafe,  and 
no  one  who  knew  General  Whittingham  will 
doubt  that  he  was  a  more  dangerous  opponent 
than  Fleance.  We  both  felt,  in  fact,  as  soon  as  we 
saw  the  white  sail  of  "The  Songstress"  bearing 
our  enemy  out  of  our  reach,  that  the  revolution 
could  not  yet  be  regarded  as  safely  accomplished. 
But  the  uncertainty  of  our  tenure  of  power  did  not 


116  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

paralyze  our  energies;  on  the  contrary,  \ve  de- 
termined to  make  hay  while  the  sun  shone,  and, 
if  Aureataland  was  doomed  to  succumb  once 
more  to  the  tyranny,  I,  for  one,  was  very  clear 
that  her  temporary  emancipation  might  be  turned 
to  good  account. 

Accordingly,  on  arriving  again  at  the  Golden 
House,  we  lost  no  time  in  instituting  a  thorough 
inquiry  into  the  state  of  the  public  finances.  We 
ransacked  the  house  from  top  to  bottom  and 
found  nothing  !  Was  it  possible  that  the  Presi- 
dent had  carried  off  with  him  all  the  treasure 
that  had  inspired  our  patriotic  efforts  ?  The 
thought  was  too  horrible.  The  drawers  of  his 
escritoire  and  the  safe  that  stood  in  his  library 
revealed  nothing  to  our  eager  eyes.  A  foraging 
party,  dispatched  to  the  Ministry  of  Finance 
(where,  by  the  way,  they  did  not  find  Don  An- 
tonio or  his  fair  daughter),  returned  with  the  dis- 
couraging news  that  nothing  was  visible  but  ledg- 
ers and  bills  (not  negotiable  securities — the  other 
sort).  In  deep  dejection  I  threw  myself  into  his 
Excellency's  chair  and  lit  one  of  his  praiseworthy 
cigars  with  the  doleful  reflection  that  this  pleasure 
seemed  all  I  was  likely  to  get  out  of  the  business. 
The  Colonel  stood  moodily  with  his  back  to  the 
fireplace,  looking  at  me  as  if  I  were  responsible 
for  the  state  of  things. 

At  this  point  in  came  the   Signorina.      We 


DIVIDING  THE  SPOILS.  117 

greeted  her  gloomily,  and  she  was  as  startled  as 
ourselves  at  the  news  of  the  President's  escape; 
at  the  same  time  I  thought  I  detected  an  under- 
current of  relief,  not  unnatural  if  we  recollect  her 
personal  relations  with  the  deposed  ruler.  When, 
however,  we  went  on  to  break  to  her  the  naked- 
ness of  the  land,  she  stopped  us  at  once. 

"Oh,  you  stupid  men,  you  haven't  looked  in 
the  right  place.  I  suppose  you  expected  to  find 
it  laid  out  for  you  on  the  dining-room  table. 
Come  with  me." 

We  followed  her  into  the  room  where  Carr  lay. 
He  was  awake,  and  the  Signorina  went  and  asked 
him  how  he  was.  Then  she  continued: 

"We  shall  have  to  disturb  you  for  a  few  min- 
utes, Mr.  Carr.  You  don't  mind,  do  you  ?" 

"Must  I  get  out  of  bed  ?"  asked  Johnny. 

"Certainly  not,  while  I'm  here,"  said  the  Sig- 
norina. "You've  only  got  to  shut  your  eyes  and 
lie  still ;  but  we're  going  to  make  a  little  noise." 

There  was  in  the  room,  as  perhaps  might  be 
expected,  a  washing-stand.  This  article  was  of 
the  description  one  often  sees;  above  the  level 
of  the  stand  itself  there  rose  a  wooden  screen  to 
the  height  of  two  feet  and  a  half,  covered  with 
pretty  tiles,  the  presumable  object  being  to  protect 
the  wall  paper.  I  never  saw  a  more  innocent- 
looking  hi*  of  furniture ;  it  might  have  stood  in  a 
lady's  dressing-room.  The  Signorina  went  up  to 


118  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

it  and  slid  it  gently  on  one  side;  it  moved  in  a 
groove  !  Then  she  pressed  a  spot  in  the  wall  be- 
hind, and  a  small  piece  of  it  rolled  aside,  disclos- 
ing a  keyhole. 

"He's  taken  the  key,  of  course,"  she  said.  "We 
must  break  it  open.  Who's  got  a  hammer  ?" 

Tools  were  procured,  and,  working  under  the 
Signorina's  directions,  after  a  good  deal  of 
trouble,  we  laid  bare  a  neat  little  safe  embedded 
in  the  wall.  This  safe  was  legibly  inscribed  on  the 
outside,  "Burglar's  Puzzle."  We,  however,  were 
not  afraid  of  making  a  noise,  and  it  only  puzzled 
us  for  ten  minutes. 

When  opened  it  revealed  a  Golconda  !  There 
lay  in  securities  and  cash  no  less  than  500,000 
dollars  ! 

We  smiled  at  one  another. 

"A  sad  revelation,"  I  remarked. 

"Hoary  old  fox  !"  said  the  Colonel. 

No  wonder  the  harbor  works  were  unremunera- 
tive  in  their  early  stages.  The  President  must 
have  kept  them  at  a  very  early  stage. 

"What  are  you  people  up  to  ?"  cried  Carr. 

"Rank  burglary,  my  dear  boy,"  I  replied,  and 
we  retreated  with  our  spoil. 

"Now,"  said  I  to  the  Colonel,  "what  are  you 
going  to  do?" 

"Why,  what  do  you  think,  Mr.  Martin  ?"  in- 
terposed the  Sig^iorina.  "He's  going  to  give  YOU 


DIVIDING  THE  SPOILS.  119 

your  money,  and  divide  the  rest  with  his  sincere 
friend,  Christina  Nugent." 

"Well,  I  suppose  so,"  said  the  Colonel.  "But 
it  strikes  me  you  are  making  a  good  thing  of  this, 
Martin." 

"My  dear  Colonel,"  said  I,  "a  bargain  is  a 
bargain,  and  where  would  you  have  been  without 
my  money  ?" 

The  Colonel  made  no  reply,  but  handed  me 
the  money,  which  I  liked  much  better.  I  took 
the  320,000  dollars-,  and  said: 

"Now,  I  can  face  the  world,  an  honest  man." 

The  Signorina  laughed. 

"I  am  glad,"  she  said  "chiefly  for  poor  old 
Jones'  sake.  It'll  take  a  load  off  his  mind." 

The  Colonel  proceeded  to  divide  the  remainder 
into  two  little  heaps,  one  of  which  he  pushed 
over  to  the  Signorina.  She  took  it  gaily,  say- 
ing: 

"Now  I  shall  make  curl  papers  of  half  my 
bonds,  and  I  shall  rely  on  the — what  do  you  call 
it  ? — the  Provisional  government  to  pay  the  rest 
You  remember  about  the  house  ?" 

"I'll  see  about  that  soon,"  said  the  Colonel  im- 
patiently. "You  two  seem  to  think  there's  noth- 
ing to  do  but  take  the  money.  You  forget  we've 
got  to  make  our  positions  safe." 

"Exactly.  The  Colonel's  government  must  be 
carried  on,"  said  I. 


120  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

The  Signorina  did  not  catch  the  allusion.  She 
yawned,  and  said: 

"Oh,  then  I  shall  go.  Rely  on  my  loyalty, 
your  Excellency." 

She  made  him  a  courtesy  and  went  to  the  door. 
As  I  opened  it  for  her  she  whispered,  "Horrid 
old  bear  !  Come  and  see  me,  Jack,"  and  so 
vanished,  carrying  off  her  dollars. 

I  returned  and  sat  down  opposite  the  Colonel. 

"I  wonder  how  she  knew  about  the  washing- 
stand,"  I  remarked. 

"Because  Whittingham  was  fool  enough  to  tell 
her,  I  suppose,"  said  the  Colonel  testily,  as  if  he 
disliked  the  subject. 

Then  we  settled  to  business.  This  unambitious 
tale  does  not  profess  to  be  a  complete  history  of 
Aureataland,  and  I  will  spare  my  readers  the 
recital  of  our  discussion.  We  decided  at  last  that 
matters  were  still  so  critical,  owing  to  the  Presi- 
dent's escape,  that  the  ordinary  forms  of  law 
and  constitutional  government  must  be  tempora- 
rily suspended.  The  chamber  was  not  in  session, 
which  made  this  course  easier.  The  Colonel  was 
to  be  proclaimed  President  and  to  assume  su- 
preme power  under  martial  law  for  some  weeks, 
while  we  looked  about  us.  It  was  thought  better 
that  my  name  should  not  appear  officially,  but  I 
agreed  to  take  in  hand,  under  his  supervision,  all 
matters  relating  to  finance. 


DIVIDING  THE  SPOILS.  121 

"We  can't  pay  the  interest  on  the  real  debt,"  he 
said. 

"No,"  I  replied;  "you  must  issue  a  notice,  set- 
ting forth  that,  owing  to  General  Whittingham's 
malversations,  payments  must  be  temporarily 
suspended.  Promise  it  will  be  all  right  later  on." 

"Very  good,"  said  he;  "and  now  I  shall  go  and 
look  up  those  officers.  I  must  keep  them  in  good 
temper,  and  the  men,  too.  I  shall  give  'em  an- 
other ten  thousand." 

"Generous  hero  !"  said  I,  "and  I  shall  go  and 
restore  this  cash  to  my  employers." 

It  was  twelve  o'clock  when  I  left  the  Golden 
House  and  strolled  quietly  down  to  Liberty  Street. 
The  larger  part  of  the  soldiers  had  been  drawn  off, 
but  a  couple  of  companies  still  kept  guard  in  the 
Piazza.  The  usual  occupations  of  life  were  going 
on  amid  a  confused  stir  of  excitement,  and  I  saw 
by  the  interest  my  appearance  aroused  that  some 
part  at  least  of  my  share  in  the  night's  doing  had 
leaked  out.  The  "Gazette"  had  published  a  special 
edition,  in  which  it  hailed  the  advent  of  freedom, 
and,  while  lauding  McGregor  to  the  skies, 
bestowed  a  warm  commendation  on  the  "noble 
Englishman  who,  with  a  native  love  of  liberty,  had 
taken  on  himself  the  burden  of  Aureataland  in  her 
hour  of  travail."  The  metaphor  struck  me  as 
inappropriate,  but  the  sentiment  was  most 
healthy;  and  when  I  finally  beheld  two  officers 


122  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

of  police  sitting  on  the  head  of  a  drunken  man  for 
toasting  the  falling  regime,  I  could  say  to  myself, 
as  I  turned  into  the  bank,  "Order  reigns  in 
Warsaw." 

General  assent  had  proclaimed  a  suspension  of 
commerce  on  this  auspicious  day,  and  I  found 
Jones  sitting  idle  and  ill  at  ease.  I  explained  to 
him  the  state  of  affairs,  showing  how  the  Presi- 
dent's dishonorable  scheme  had  compelled  me,  in 
the  interests  of  the  bank,  to  take  a  more  or  less 
active  part  in  the  revolution.  It  was  pathetic  to 
hear  him  bewail  the  villainy  of  the  man  he  had 
trusted,  and  when  I  produced  the  money,  he 
blessed  me  fervently,  and  at  once  proposed  writing 
to  the  Directors  a  full  account  of  the  matter. 

"They  are  bound  to  vote  you  an  honorarium, 
sir,"  he  said. 

"I  don't  know,  Jones,"  I  replied.  "I  am  afraid 
there  is  a  certain  prejudice  against  me  at  head- 
quarters. But  in  any  case  I  have  resolved  to 
forego  the  personal  advantage  that  might  accrue 
to  me  from  my  conduct.  President  McGregor 
has  made  a  strong  representation  to  me  that  the 
schemes  of  General  Whittingham,  if  publicly 
known,  would,  however  unjustly,  prejudice  the 
credit  of  Aureataland,  and  he  appealed  to  me  not 
to  give  particulars  to  the  world.  In  matters  such 
as  these,  Jones,  we  cannot  be  guided  solely  by 
selfish  considerations." 


DIVIDING  THE  SPOILS.  123 

"God  forbid,  sir!"  said  Jones,  much  moved. 

"I  have,  therefore,  consented  to  restrict  myself 
to  a  confidential  communication  to  the  Directors; 
they  must  judge  how  far  they  will  pass  it  on  to  the 
shareholders.  To  the  world  at  large  I  shall  say 
nothing  of  the  second  loan;  and  I  know  you  will 
oblige  me  by  treating  this  money  as  the  product 
of  realizations  in  the  ordinary  course  of  business. 
The  recent  disturbances  will  quite  account  for  so 
large  a  sum  being  called  in." 

"I  don't  quite  see  how  I  can  arrange  that." 

"Ah,  you  are  overdone,"  said  I.  "Leave  it  all  to 
me,  Jones." 

And  this  I  persuaded  him  to  do.  In  fact,  he 
was  so  relieved  at  seeing  the  money  back  that  he 
was  easy  to  deal  with;  and  if  he  suspected 
anything,  he  was  overawed  by  my  present  exalted 
position.  He  appeared  to  forget  what  I  could 
not,  that  the  President,  no  doubt,  still  possessed 
that  fatal  cable! 

After  lunch  I  remembered  my  engagement 
with  the  Signorina,  and,  putting  on  my  hat,  was 
bidding  farewell  to  business,  when  Jones  said: 

"There's  a  note  just  come  for  you,  sir.  A  little 
boy  brought  it  while  you  were  out  at  lunch." 

He  gave  it  to  me — a  little  dirty  envelope,  with 
an  illiterate  scrawl.  I  opened  it  carelessly,  but 
as  my  eye  fell  on  the  President's  hand,  I  started 
in  amazement.  The  note  was  dated  "Saturday — 


124  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

From  on  board  'The  Songstress,' "  and  ran  as 
follows: 

"Dear  Mr.  Martin — I  must  confess  to  having 
underrated  your  courage  and  abilities.  If  you 
care  to  put  them  at  my  disposal  now,  I  will  accept 
them.  In  the  other  event,  I  must  refer  you  to  my 
public  announcement.  In  any  case  it  may  be 
useful  to  you  to  know  that  McGregor  designs  to 
marry  Signorina  Nugent.  I  fear  that  on  my  return 
it  will  be  hardly  consistent  with  my  public  duties 
to  spare  your  life  (unless  you  accept  my  present 
offer),  but  I  shall  always  look  back  to  your 
acquaintance  with  pleasure.  I  have,  if  you  will 
allow  me  to  say  so,  seldom  met  a  young  man 
with  such  natural  gifts  for  finance  and  politics. 
I  shall  anchor  five  miles  out  from  Whittingham 
to-night  (for  I  know  you  have  no  ships),  and  if 
you  join  me,  well  and  good.  If  not,  I  shall  con- 
sider your  decision  irrevocable. — Believe  me, 
dear  Mr.  Martin,  faithfully  yours, 

"MARCUS  W.  WHITTINGHAM, 
"President  of  the  Republic 

"of  Aureataland." 

It  is  a  pleasant  thing,  as  has  been  remarked, 
laudari  a  laudato  viro,  and  the  President's  praise 
was  grateful  to  me.  But  I  did  not  see  my  way  to 
fall  in  with  his  views.  He  said  nothing  about  the 


DIVIDING  THE  SPOILS.  125 

money,  but  I  knew  well  that  its  return  would  be 
a  condition  of  any  alliance  between  us.  Again,  I 
was  sure  that  he  also  "designed  to  marry  the 
Signorina,"  and  if  I  must  have  a  rival  on  the  spot 
I  preferred  McGregor  in  that  capacity.  Lastly, 
I  thought  that  after  all  there  is  a  decency  in 
things,  and  I  had  better  stick  to  my  party.  I  did 
not,  however,  tell  McGregor  about  the  letter, 
merely  sending  him  a  line  to  say  I  had  heard  that 
he  had  better  look  out. 

This,  done,  I  resumed  my  interrupted  progress 
to  the  Signorina's.  When  I  was  shown  in,  she 
greeted  me  kindly. 

"I  have  had  a  letter  from  the  President,"  I  said. 

"Yes,"  said  she,  "he  told  me  he  had  written  to 
you." 

"Why,  have  you  heard  from  him?" 

"Yes,  just  a  little  note.  He  is  rather  cross  with 
me." 

"I  can  quite  understand  that.  Would  you  like 
to  see  my  letter?" 

"Oh,  yes,"  she  replied  carelessly. 

She  read  it  through  and  asked: 

"Well,  are  you  going  over  to  him — going  to 
forsake  me?" 

"How  can  you  ask  me?  Won't  you  show  me 
your  letter,  Christina?" 

"No,  John,"  she  answered,  mimicking  my  im- 


126  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

passioned  tones.  "I  may  steal  the  President's 
savings,  but  I  respect  his  confidence." 

"You  see  what  he  says  to  me  about  Mc- 
Gregor?" 

"Yes,"  said  the  Signorina.  "It  is  not,  you  know, 
news  to  me.  But,  curious  to  relate,  the  Colonel 
has  just  been  here  himself  and  told  me  the  same 
thing.  The  Colonel  has  not  a  nice  way  of  making 
love,  Jack — not  so  nice  as  yours  nearly." 

Thus  encouraged  I  went  and  sat  down  by  her. 
I  believe  I  took  her  hand. 

"You  don't  love  him?" 

"Not  at  all,"  she  replied. 

I  must  beg  to  be  excused  recording  the  exact 
terms  in  which  I  placed  my  hand  and  heart  at  the 
Signorina's  disposal.  I  was  extremely  vehement 
and  highly  absurd,  but  she  did  not  appear  to  be 
displeased. 

"I  like  you  very  much,  Jack,"  she  said,  "and  it's 
very  sweet  of  you  to  have  made  a  revolution  for 
me.  It  was  for  me,  Jack?" 

"Of  course  it  was,  my  darling,"  I  promptly  re- 
plied. 

"But  you  know,  Jack,  I  don't  see  how  we're 
much  better  off  Indeed,  in  a  way  it's  worse.  The 
President  wouldn't  let  anybody  else  marry  me,  but 
he  wasn't  so  peremptory  as  the  Colonel.  The 
Colonel  declares  he  will  marry  me  this  day  week !" 

"We'll  see  about  that,"  said  I,  savagely. 


DIVIDING  THE  SPOILS.  127 

"Another  revolution,  Jack?"  asked  the  Sig- 
norina. 

"You  needn't  laugh  at  me,"  I  said  sulkily. 

"Poor  boy!  What  are  we  idyllic  lovers  to  do?'' 

"I  don't  believe  you're  a  bit  in  earnest." 

"Yes,  I  am,  Jack — now."  Then  she  went  on, 
with  a  sort  of  playful  pity,  "Look  at  my  savage, 
jealous,  broken-hearted  Jack." 

I  caught  her  in  my  arms  and  kissed  her,  whis- 
pering hotly, 

"You  will  be  true  to  me,  sweet?" 

"Let  me  go,"  she  said.  Then,  leaning  over  me 
as  I  flung  myself  back  in  a  chair,  "It's  pleasant 
while  it  lasts;  try  not  to  be  broken-hearted  if  it 
doesn't  last." 

"If  you  love  me,  why  don't  you  come  with  me 
out  of  this  sink  of  iniquity?" 

"Run  away  with  you?"  she  asked  with  open 
amazement.  "Do  you  think  that  we're  the  sort 
of  people  for  a  romantic  elopement?  I  am  very 
earthy.  And  so  are  you,  Jack  dear,  nice  earth, 
but  earth,  Jack." 

There  was  a  good  deal  of  truth  in  this  remark. 
We  were  not  an  ideal  pair  for  love  in  a  cottage. 

"Yes,"  I  said.    "I've  got  no  money." 

"I've  got  a  little  money,  but  not  much.  I've 
been  paying  my  debts,"  she  added  proudly. 

"I  haven't  been  even  doing  that.  And  I'm 
not  quite  equal  to  purloining  that  300,000  dollars." 


128  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

"We  must  wait,  Jack.  But  this  I  will  promise: 
I'll  never  marry  the  Colonel.  If  it  comes  to  that 
or  running  away,  we'll  run  away." 

"And  Whittingham?" 

The  Signorina  for  once  looked  grave. 

"You  know  him,"  she  said.  "Think  what  he 
made  you  do!  and  you're  not  a  weak  man,  or  I 
shouldn't  be  fond  of  you.  Jack,  you  must  keep 
him  away  from  me." 

She  was  quite  agitated;  and  it  was  one  more 
tribute  to  the  President's  powers  that  he  should 
exert  so  strange  an  influence  over  such  a  nature. 
I  was  burning  to  ask  her  more  about  herself  and 
the  President,  but  I  could  not  while  she  was  dis- 
tressed. And  when  I  had  comforted  her,  she 
resolutely  declined  to  return  to  the  subject. 

"No,  go  away  now,"  she  said.  "Think  how  we 
are  to  checkmate  our  two  Presidents.  And,  Jack, 
whatever  happens,  I  got  you  back  the  money. 
I've  done  you  some  good.  So  be  kind  to  me. 
I'm  not  very  much  afraid  of  your  heart  breaking. 
In  fact,  Jack,  we  are  neither  of  us  good  young 
people.  No,  no,  be  quiet  and  go  away.  You 
have  plenty  of  useful  things  to  occupy  your  time." 

At  last  I  accepted  my  dismissal,  and  walked  off, 
my  happiness  considerably  damped  by  the  awk- 
ward predicament  in  which  we  stood.  Clearly  Mc- 
Gregor meant  business;  and  at  this  moment 
[McGregor  was  all  powerful.  If  he  kept  the  reins, 


DIVIDING  THE  SPOILS.  129 

I  should  lose  my  love.  If  the  President  came 
back,  a  worse  fate  still  threatened.  Supposing  it 
were  possible  to  carry  off  the  Signorina,  which  I 
doubted  very  much,  where  were  we  to  go  to  ? 
And  would  she  come  ? 
On  the  whole  I  did  not  think  she  would  come. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

BETWEEN  TWO  FIRES. 

In  spite  of  many  anxieties,  after  this  eventful 
day  I  enjoyed  the  first  decent  night's  rest  I  had 
had  for  a  week.  The  Colonel  refused,  with  an 
unnecessary  ostentation  of  scorn,  my  patriotic 
offer  to  keep  watch  and  ward  over  the  city,  and  I 
turned  in,  tired  out  at  eleven  o'clock,  after  a  light 
dinner  and  a  meditative  pipe.  I  felt  I  had  some 
reasons  for  self-congratulations;  for  considerable 
as  my  present  difficulties  were,  yet  I  undoubtedly 
stood  in  a  more  hopeful  position  than  I  had  before 
the  revolution.  I  was  now  resolved  to  get  my 
money  safe  out  of  the  country,  and  I  had  hopes  of 
being  too  much  for  McGregor  in  the  other  matter 
which  shared  my  thoughts. 

The  return  of  the  day,  however,  brought  new 
troubles.  I  was  roused  at  an  early  hour  by  a  visit 
from  the  Colonel  himself.  He  brought  very  dis- 
quieting tidings.  In  the  course  of  the  night 
ev«ry  one  of  our  proclamations  had  been  torn 
dc»wrt  or  defaced  with  ribald  scribblings;  posted 
over  of  alongside  them,  there  now  hung  multi- 
fv*StvniS  enlarged  copies  of  the  President's  offen- 


BETWEEN  TWO  FIRES.  131 

sive  notice.  How  or  by  whom  these  seditious 
measures  had  been  effected  we  were  at  a  loss  to 
tell,  for  the  officers  and  troops  were  loud  in  de- 
claring their  vigilance.  In  the  very  center  of  the 
Piazza,  at  the  base  of  the  President's  statue,  was 
posted  an  enormous  bill,  "Remember  1871  ! 
Death  to  Traitors!" 

"How  could  they  do  that  unless  the  soldiers 
were  in  it?"  asked  the  Colonel  gloomily.  "I  have 
sent  those  two  companies  back  to  barracks  and 
had  another  lot  out.  But  how  do  I  know  they'll 
be  any  better?  I  met  DeChair  just  now  and  asked 
him  what  the  temper  of  the  troops  was.  The  little 
brute  grinned,  and  said:  'Ah,  mon  President,  it 
would  be  better  if  the  good  soldiers  had  a  leetle 
more  money.'" 

"That's  about  it,"  said  I ;  "but  then  you  haven't 
got  much  more  money." 

"What  I've  got  I  mean  to  stick  to,"  said  the 
Colonel.  "If  this  thing  is  going  to  burst  up,  I'm 
not  going  to  be  kicked  out  to  starve.  I  tell  you 
what  it  is,  Martin,  you  must  let  me  have  some 
of  that  cash  back  again." 

The  effrontery  of  this  request  amazed  me.  I 
was  just  drawing  on  the  second  leg  of  my  trousers 
(for  it  was  impossible  to  be  comfortable  in  bed 
with  that  great  creature  fuming  about),  and  I 
stopped  with  one  leg  in  mid-air  and  gazed  at  him. 


132  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

"Well,  what's  the  matter?  Why  are  you  to 
dance  out  with  all  the  plunder?"  he  asked. 

The  man's  want  of  ordinary  morality  was  too 
revolting.  Didn't  he  know  very  well  that  the 
money  wasn't  mine?  Didn't  he  himself  obtain 
my  help  on  the  express  terms  that  I  should  have 
this  money  to  repay  the  bank  with?  I  finished 
putting  on  my  garments,  and  then  I  replied, 

"Not  a  farthing,  Colonel;  not  a  damned  far- 
thing! By  our  agreement  that  cash  was  to  be 
mine ;  but  for  that  I  wouldn't  have  touched  your 
revolution  with  a  pair  of  tongs." 

He  looked  very  savage,  and  muttered  some- 
thing under  his  breath. 

"You're  carrying  things  with  a  high  hand,"  he 
said. 

"I'm  not  going  to  steal  to  please  you,"  said  I. 

"You  weren't  always  so  scrupulous,"  he 
sneered. 

I  took  no  notice  of  this  insult,  but  repeated  my 
determination. 

"Look  here,  Martin,"  he  said,  "I'll  give  you 
twenty-four  hours  to  think  it  over;  and  let  me 
advise  you  to  change  your  mind  by  then.  I  don't 
want  to  quarrel,  but  I'm  going  to  have  some  of 
that  money." 

Clearly  he  had  learned  statecraft  in  his  prede- 
cessor's school!  Twenty-four  hours  is  some- 
thing," thought  I,  and  determined  to  try  the  cun- 
ning of  the  serpent. 


BETWEEN  TWO  FIRES.  133 

"All  right,  Colonel,"  I  said,  "I'll  think  it  over. 
I  don't  pretend  to  like  it;  but,  after  all,  I'm  in  with 
you  and  we  must  pull  together.  We'll  see  how 
things  look  to-morrow  morning." 

"There's  another  matter  I  wanted  to  speak  to 
you  about,"  he  went  on. 

I  was  now  dressed,  so  I  invited  him  into  the 
breakfast-room,  gave  him  a  cup  of  coffee  (which, 
to  my  credit,  I  didn't  poison),  and  began  on  my 
own  eggs  and  toast. 

"Fire  away,"  said  I  briefly. 

"I  suppose  you  know  I'm  going  to  be  mar- 
ried ?"  he  remarked. 

"No,  I  hadn't  heard,"  I  replied,  feigning  to  be 
entirely  occupied  with  a  very  nimble  egg.  "Rath- 
er a  busy  time  for  marrying,  isn't  it?  Who  is 
she  ?" 

He  gave  a  heavy  laugh. 

"You  needn't  pretend  to  be  so  very  innocent; 
I  expect  you  could  give  a  pretty  good  guess." 

"Madame  Devarges?"  I  asked  blandly.  "Suit- 
able match ;  about  your  age — ' 

"I  wish  the  devil  you  wouldn't  try  to  be  funny  !" 
he  exclaimed.  "You  know  as  well  as  I  do  it's  the 
Signorina." 

"Really  ?"  I  replied.  "Well,  well,  I  fancied 
you  were  a  little  touched  in  that  quarter.  And 
she  has  consented  to  make  you  happy  ?" 

I  was  curious  to  see  what  he  would  say.  I  knew 


134  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

he  was  a  bad  liar,  and,  as  a  fact,  I  believe  he 
told  the  truth  on  this  occasion,  for  he  answered: 

"Says  she  never  cared  a  straw  for  anyone 
else." 

Oh,  Signorina  ! 

"Not  even  Whittingham  ?"  I  asked  maliciously. 

"Hates  the  old  ruffian  !"  said  the  Colonel.  "I 
once  thought  she  had  a  liking  for  you,  Martin, 
but  she  laughed  at  the  idea.  I'm  glad  of  it,  for 
we  should  have  fallen  out." 

I  smiled  in  a  somewhat  sickly  way,  and  took 
refuge  in  my  cup.  When  I  emerged,  I  asked: 

"And  when  is  it  to  be  ?" 

"Next  Saturday." 

"So  soon  ?" 

"Yes,"  he  said.  "Fact  is,  between  you  and  me, 
Martin,  she's  ready  enough." 

This  was  too  disgusting.  But  whether  the  Colo- 
nel was  deceiving  me,  or  the  Signorina  had  de- 
ceived him,  I  didn't  know — a  little  bit  of  both, 
probably.  I  saw,  however,  what  the  Colonel's 
game  was  plainly  enough ;  he  was,  in  his  clumsy 
way,  warning  me  off  his  preserves,  for,  of  course, 
he  knew  my  pretensions,  and  probably  that  they 
had  met  with  some  success,  and  I  don't  think  I  im- 
posed on  him  very  much.  But  I  was  anxious  to 
avoid  a  rupture  and  gain  time. 

"I  must  call  and  congratulate  the  lady,"  I 
said. 


BETWEEN  TWO  FIRES.  135 

The  Colonel  couldn't  very  well  object  to  that, 
but  he  didn't  like  it. 

"Well,  Christina  told  me  she  was  very  busy, 
but  I  daresay  she'll  see  you  for  a  few  minutes." 

"I  daresay  she  will,"  I  said  dryly. 

"I  must  be  off  now.  I  shall  have  to  be  about 
all  day  trying  to  catch  those  infernal  fellows  who 
destroyed  the  bills." 

"You  won't  be  doing  any  business  to-day, 
then  ?" 

"What,  about  settling  the  Government  ?"  he 
asked,  grinning.  "Not  just  yet.  Wait  till  I've 
got  the  Signorina  and  the  money,  and  then  we'll 
see  about  that.  You  think  about  the  money,  my 
boy  !" 

Much  to  my  relief  he  then  departed,  and  as  he 
went  out  I  swore  that  neither  Signorina  nor 
money  should  he  have.  In  the  course  of  the  next 
twenty-four  hours  I  must  find  a  way  to  prevent 
him, 

"Rather  early  for  a  call,"  said  I,  "but  I  must 
see  the  Signorina." 

On  my  way  up  I  met  several  people  and  heard 
some  interesting  facts.  In  the  first  place,  no 
trace  had  appeared  of  Don  Antonio  and  his 
daughter;  rumor  declared  that  they  had  em- 
barked on  'The  Songstress'  with  the  President 
and  his  faithful  doctor.  Secondly,  Johnny  Carr 
was  still  in  bed  at  the  Golden  House  (this  from 


136  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

Madame  Devarges,  who  had  been  to  see  him); 
but  his  men  had  disappeared,  after  solemnly  tak- 
ing the  oath  to  the  new  government.  Item  three. 
The  Colonel  had  been  received  with  silence  and 
black  looks  by  the  troops,  and  two  officers 
had  vanished  into  space,  both  Americans,  and 
the  only  men  of  any  good  in  a  fight  Things 
were  looking  rather  blue,  and  I  began  to  think 
I  also  should  like  to  disappear,  provided  I 
could  carry  off  my  money  and  my  mistress 
with  me.  My  scruples  about  loyalty  had  been 
removed  by  the  Colonel's  overbearing  conduct, 
and  I  was  ready  for  any  step  that  promised 
me  the  fulfillment  of  my  own  designs.  It  was 
pretty  evident  that  there  would  be  no  living  with 
McGregor  in  his  present  frame  of  mind,  and  I 
was  convinced  that  my  best  course  would  be  to 
cut  the  whole  thing,  or,  if  that  proved  impossible, 
to  see  what  bargain  I  could  make  with  the  Presi- 
dent. Of  course  all  would  go  smoothly  with  him 
if  I  gave  up  the  dollars  and  the  lady;  a  like  sacri- 
fice would  conciliate  McGregor.  But  then  I  didn't 
mean  to  make  it. 

"One  or  other  I  will  have,"  said  I,  as  I 
knocked  at  the  door  of  "Mon  Repos,"  "and  both 
if  possible." 

The  Signorina  was  looking  worried;  indeed,  I 
thought  she  had  been  crying. 


BETWEEN  TWO  FIRES.  137 

"Did  you  meet  my  aunt  on  your  way  up  ?"  she 
asked,  the  moment  I  was  announced. 

"No,"  said  I. 

"I've  sent  her  away,"  she  continued.  "All  this 
fuss  frightens  her,  so  I  got  the  Colonel's  leave 
(for  you  know  we  mustn't  move  without  permis- 
sion now  liberty  has  triumphed)  for  her  to  seek 
change  of  air." 

"Where's  she  going  to  ?"  I  said. 

"Home,"  said  the  Signorina. 

I  didn't  know  where  "home"  was,  but  I  never 
ask  what  I  am  not  meant  to  know. 

"Are  you  left  alone  ?" 

"Yes.  I  know  it's  not  correct.  But  you  see, 
Jack,  I  had  to  choose  between  care  for  my  money 
and  care  for  my  reputation.  The  latter  is  always 
safe  in  my  own  keeping;  the  former  I  wasn't  so 
sure  about." 

"Oh,  so  you've  given  it  to  Mrs.  Carrington?" 

"Yes,  all  but  five  thousand  dollars." 

"Does  the  Colonel  know  that  ?" 

"Dear  me,  of  course  not,  or  he'd  never  have  let 
her  go." 

"You're  very  wise,"  said  I.  "I  only  wish  I 
could  have  sent  my  money  with  her." 

"I'm  afraid  that  would  have  made  dear  aunt 
rather  bulky,"  said  the  Signorina,  tittering. 

"Yes,  such  a  lot  of  mine's  in  cash,"  I  said  re- 
gretfully. "But  won't  they  find  it  on  her?" 


138  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

"Not  if  they're  gentlemen,"  replied  the  Sig- 
norina,  darkly. 

Evidently  I  could  not  ask  for  further  details; 
so,  without  more  ado,  I  disclosed  my  own  perilous 
condition  and  the  Colonel's  boasts  about  herself. 

"What  a  villain  that  man  is  !"  she  exclaimed. 
"Of  course  I  was  civil  to  him,  but  I  didn't  say  half 
that.  You  didn't  believe  that  I  did,  Jack  ?" 

There's  never  any  use  in  being  unpleasant,  so 
I  said  I  had  rejected  the  idea  with  scorn. 

"But  what's  to  be  done  ?  If  I'm  here  to-mor- 
row, he'll  take  the  money,  and,  as  likely  as  not, 
cut  my  throat  if  I  try  to  stop  him." 

"Yes,  and  he'll  marry  me,"  chimed  in  the  Sig- 
norina.  "Jack,  we  must  have  a  counter-revolu- 
tion." 

"I  don't  see  what  good  that'll  do,"  I  answered 
dolefully.  "The  President  will  take  the  money 
just  the  same,  and  I  expect  he'll  marry  you  just 
the  same." 

"Of  the  two,  I  would  rather  have  him.  Now 
don't  rage,  Jack  !  I  only  said,  'of  the  two.'  But 
you're  quite  right;  it  couldn't  help  us  much  to 
bring  General  Whittingham  back." 

"To  say  nothing  of  the  strong  probability  of 
my  perishing  in  the  attempt." 

"Let  me  think,"  said  the  Signorina,  knitting  her 
brows. 

"May  I  light  a  cigarette  and  help  you  ?" 


BETWEEN  TWO  FIRES.  139 

She  nodded  permission,  and  I  awaited  the  re- 
sult of  her  meditation. 

She  sat  there,  looking  very  thoughtful  and 
troubled,  but  it  seemed  to  me  as  if  she  were  rather 
undergoing  a  conflict  of  feeling  than  thinking  out 
a  course  of  action.  Once  she  glanced  at  me,  then 
turned  away  with  a  restless  movement  and  a 
sigh. 

I  finished  my  cigarette,  and  flinging  it  away, 
strolled  up  to  the  window  to  look  out.  I  had 
stood  there  a  little  while,  when  I  heard  her  call 
softly: 

"Jack  !" 

I  turned  and  came  to  her,  kneeling  down  by 
her  side  and  taking  her  hands. 

She  gazed  rather  intently  into  my  face  with 
unusual  gravity.  Then  she  said: 

"If  you  have  to  choose  between  me  and  the 
money,  which  will  it  be  ?" 

I  kissed  her  hand  for  answer. 

"If  the  money  is  lost,  won't  it  all  come  out  ? 
And  then  won't  they  call  you  dishonest?" 

"I  suppose  so,"  said  I. 

"You  don't  mind  that  ?" 

"Yes,  I  do.  Nobody  likes  being  called  a  thief — 
especially  when  there's  a  kind  of  truth  about  it. 
But  I  should  mind  losing  you  more." 

"Are  you  really  very  fond  of  me,  Jack  ?  No, 
you  needn't  say  so.  I  think  you  are.  Now  I'll 


140  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

tell  you  a  secret.  If  you  hadn't  come  here,  I 
should  have  married  General  Whittingham  long 
ago.  I  stayed  here  intending  to  do  it  (oh,yes,  I'm 
not  a  nice  girl,  Jack),  and  he  asked  me  very  soon 
after  you  first  arrived.  I  gave  him  my  money, 
you  know  then." 

I  was  listening  intently.  It  seemed  as  if  some 
things  were  going  to  be  cleared  up. 

"Well,"  she  continued,  "you  know  what  hap- 
pened. You  fell  in  love  with  me,  I  tried  to  make 
you,  and  then  I  suppose  I  fell  a  little  in  love  with 
you.  At  any  rate  I  told  the  President  I  wouldn't 
marry  him  just  then.  Some  time  after,  I  wanted 
some  money,  and  I  asked  him  to  give  me  back 
mine.  He  utterly  refused;  you  know  his  quiet 
way.  He  said  he  would  keep  it  for  "Mrs.  Whit- 
tingham." Oh,  I  could  have  killed  him  !  But  I 
didn't  dare  to  break  with  him  openly;  besides, 
he's  very  hard  to  fight  against.  We  had  constant 
disputes;  he  would  never  give  back  the  money, 
and  I  declared  I  wouldn't  marry  him  unless  I 
had  it  first,  and  not  then  unless  I  chose.  He  was 
very  angry  and  swore  I  should  marry  him  without 
a  penny  of  it;  and  so  it  went  on.  But  he  never 
suspected  you,  Jack,  not  till  quite  the  end.  Then 
we  found  out  about  the  debt,  you  know;  and 
about  the  same  time  I  saw  he  at  last  suspected 
something  between  you  and  me.  And  the  very 
day  before  we  came  to  the  bank  he  drove  me  to 


BETWEEN  TWO  FIRES.  141 

desperation.  He  stood  beside  me  in  this  room,  and 
said:  'Christina,  I  am  growing  old.  I  shall  wait 
no  longer.  I  believe  you're  in  love  with  that 
young  Martin.'  Then  he  apologized  for  his  plain 
speaking,  for  he's  always  gentle  in  manner.  And 
I  defied  him.  And  then,  Jack,  what  do  you  think 
he  did  ?" 

I  sprang  up  in  a  fury. 

"What  ?"  I  cried. 

"He  laughed  !"  said  the  Signorina,  with  tragic 
intensity.  "I  couldn't  stand  that.  So  I  joined  the 
Colonel  in  upsetting  him.  Ah,  he  shouldn't  have 
laughed  at  me  !" 

And  indeed  she  looked  at  this  moment  a  dan- 
gerous subject  for  such  treatment. 

"I  knew  what  no  one  else  knew,  and  I  could 
influence  him  as  no  one  else  could,  and  I  had  my 
revenge.  But  now/'  she  said,  "it  all  ends  in 
nothing." 

And  she  broke  down,  sobbing. 

Then  recovering  herself,  and  motioning  me  to 
be  still,  she  went  on : 

"You  may  think,  after  holding  him  at  bay  so 
long,  I  have  little  to  fear  from  the  Colonel.  But 
it's  different.  The  President  has  no  scruples ;  but 
he's  a  gentleman — as  far  as  women  are  concerned. 
I  mean — he  wouldn't — " 

She  stopped. 

"But  McGregor  ?"  I  asked  in  a  hoarse  whisper. 


143  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

She  drooped  her  head  on  my  shoulder. 

"I  daren't  stay  here,  Jack,  with  him,"  she 
whispered.  "If  you  can't  take  me  away,  I  must 
go  to  the  President.  I  shall  be  at  least  safe  with 
him  !" 

"Damn  the  ruffian  !"  I  growled — not  meaning 
the  President,  but  his  successor.  "I'll  shoot  him  !" 

"No,  no,  Jack  !"  she  cried.  "You  must  be  quiet 
and  cautious.  But  I  must  go  to-night — to-night, 
Jack,  either  with  you  or  to  the  President." 

"My  darling,  you  shall  come  with  me,"  said  I. 

"Where  ?" 

"Oh,  out  of  this  somewhere." 

"How  are  we  to  escape  ?" 

"Now  you  sit  down,  dear,  and  try  to  stop  cry- 
ing— you  break  my  heart — and  I'll  think.  It's  my 
turn  now/' 

I  carried  her  to  the  sofa,  and  she  lay  still,  but 
with  her  eyes  fixed  on  me.  I  was  full  of  rage 
against  McGregor,  but  I  couldn't  afford  the  lux- 
ury of  indulging  it,  so  I  gave  my  whole  mind 
to  finding  a  way  out  for  us.  At  last  I  seemed  to 
hit  upon  a  plan. 

The  Signorina  saw  the  inspiration  in  my  eye. 
She  jumped  up  and  came  to  me. 

"Have  you  got  it,  Jack  ?"  she  said. 

"I  think  so — if  you  will  trust  yourself  to  me, 
and  don't  mind  an  uncomfortable  night." 

"Go  on." 


BETWEEN  TWO  FIRES.  143 

"You  know  my  little  steam  launch  ?  It  will  be 
dark  to-night.  If  we  can  get  on  board  with 
a  couple  of  hours'  start  we  can  show  anybody  a 
clean  pair  of  heels.  She  travels  a  good  pace,  and 
it's  only  fifty  miles  to  safety  and  foreign  soil.  I 
shall  land  there  a  beggar  !" 

"I  don't  mind  that,  Jack,"  she  said.  "I  have 
my  five  thousand,  and  aunt  will  join  us  with  the 
rest.  But  how  are  we  to  get  on  board  ?  Besides, 
oh,  Jack!  the  President  watches  the  coast  every 
night  with  'The  Songstress' — and  you  know  she's 
got  steam — Mr.  Carr  just  had  auxiliary  steam 
put  in." 

"No,"  I  said,  "I  didn't  know  about  that.  Look 
here,  Christina,  excuse  the  question,  but  can  you 
communicate  with  the  President  ?" 

"Yes,"  she  said,  after  a  second's  hesitation. 

This  was  what  I  suspected. 

"And  will  he  believe  what  you  tell  him  ?" 

"I  don't  know.  He  might  and  he  might  not. 
He'll  probably  act  as  if  he  didn't." 

I  appreciated  the  justice  of  this  forecast  of  Gen- 
eral Whittingham's  measures. 

"Well,  we  must  chance  it,"  I  said.  "At  any 
rate,  better  be  caught  by  him  than  stay  here.  We 
were,  perhaps,  a  little  hasty  with  that  revolution 
of  ours." 

"I  never  thought  the  Colonel  was  so  wicked," 
said  the  Signorina. 


144  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

We  had  no  time  to  waste  in  abusing  our  enemy; 
the  question  was  how  to  outwit  him.  I  unfolded 
my  plan  to  the  Signorina,  not  at  all  disguising 
from  her  the  difficulties,  and  even  dangers,  at- 
tendant upon  it.  Whatever  may  have  been  her 
mind  before  and  after,  she  was  at  this  moment 
either  so  overcome  with  her  fear  of  the  Colonel,  or 
so  carried  away  by  her  feeling  for  me,  that  she 
made  nothing  of  difficulties  and  laughed  at  dan- 
gers, pointing  out  that  though  failure  would  be 
ignominious,  it  could  not  substantially  aggravate 
our  present  position.  Whereas  if  we  succeeded — ! 

The  thought  of  success  raised  a  prospect  of 
bliss  in  which  we  reveled  for  a  few  minutes; 
then,  warned  by  the  stroke  of  twelve,  we  returned 
to  business. 

"Are  you  going  to  take  any  of  the  money  away 
with  you  ?"  she  asked. 

"No,"  said  I,  "I  don't  think  so.  It  would  con- 
siderably increase  the  risk  if  I  were  seen  hanging 
about  the  bank ;  you  know  he's  got  spies  all  over 
the  place.  Besides,  what  good  would  it  do  ?  I 
couldn't  stick  to  it,  and  I'm  not  inclined  to  run 
any  more  risks  merely  to  save  the  bank's  pocket. 
The  bank  hasn't  treated  me  so  well  as  all  that.  I 
propose  to  rely  on  your  bounty  till  I've  time  to 
turn  round." 

"Now,  shall  I  come  for  you  ?"  I  asked  her  when 
we  had  arranged  the  other  details. 

"I  think  not,"  she  said.    "I  believe  the  Colonel 


BETWEEN  TWO  FIRES.  145 

has  one  of  my  servants  in  his  pay.  I  can  slip 
out  by  myself,  but  I  couldn't  manage  so  well  if 
you  were  with  me.  The  sight  of  you  would  excite 
curiosity.  I  will  meet  you  at  the  bottom  of  Liberty 
Street." 

"At  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  exactly,  please. 
Don't  come  through  the  Piazza  and  Liberty 
Street.  Come  round  by  the  drive."  (This  was  a 
sort  of  boulevard  encircling  the  town,  where  the 
aristocracy  was  wont  to  ride  and  drive.)  "Things 
ought  to  be  pretty  busy  about  the  bank  by  then, 
and  no  one  will  notice  you.  You  have  a  re- 
volver ?" 

"Yes." 

"All  right.  Don't  hurt  anyone  if  you  can  help 
it;  but  if  you  do,  don't  leave  him  to  linger  in 
agony.  Now  I'm  off,"  I  continued.  "I  suppose 
I'd  better  not  come  and  see  you  again  ?" 

"I'm  afraid  you  mustn't,  Jack.  You've  been 
here  two  hours  already." 

"I  shall  be  in  my  rooms  in  the  afternoon.  If 
anything  goes  wrong,  send  your  carriage  down 
the  street  and  have  it  stopped  at  the  grocer's.  I 
shall  take  that  for  a  sign." 

The  Signorina  agreed,  and  we  parted  tenderly. 
My  last  words  were: 

"You'll  send  that  message  to  Whittingham  at 
once  ?" 

"This  moment,"  she  said,  as  she  waved  me  a 
kiss  from  the  door  of  the  room. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

I  WORK  UPON  HUMAN  NATURE. 

I  was  evidently  in  for  another  day  as  unpleas- 
antly exciting  as  the  one  I  had  spent  before  the 
revolution,  and  I  reflected  sadly  that  if  a  man 
once  goes  in  for  things  of  that  kind,  it's 
none  so  easy  to  pull  up.  Luckily,  however,  I  had 
several  things  to  occupy  me,  and  was  not  left  to 
fret  the  day  away  in  idleness.  First  I  turned  my 
steps  to  the  harbor.  As  I  went  I  examined  my 
pockets  and  found  a  sum  total  of  nine  hundred 
and  fifty  dollars.  This  was  my  all,  for  of  late  I  had 
deemed  it  wise  to  carry  my  fortune  on  my  person. 
Well,  this  was  enough  for  the  present ;  the  future 
must  take  care  of  itself.  So  I  thought  to  myself  as 
I  went  along  with  a  light  heart,  my  triumph  in 
love  easily  outweighing  all  the  troubles  and  dan- 
gers that  beset  me.  Only  land  me  safe  out  of 
Aureataland  with  the  Signorina  by  my  side,  and 
I  asked  nothing  more  of  fortune  !  Let  the  dead 
bury  their  dead,  and  the  bank  look  after  its  dol- 
lars ! 

Thus  musing,  I  came  to  the  boat-house  where 
my  launch  lay.  She  was  a  tidy  little  boat,  and 


I  WORK  UPON  HUMAN  NATURE.          147 

had  the  advantage  of 'being  workable  by  one  man 
without  any  difficulty.  All  I  had  to  arrange  was 
how  to  embark  on  her  unperceived.  I  summoned 
the  boatman  in  charge  and  questioned  him  close- 
ly about  the  probable  state  of  the  weather.  He 
confidently  assured  me  it  would  be  fine  but  dark. 

"Very  well,"  said  I,  "I  shall  go  fishing;  start 
overnight  and  have  a  shy  at  them  at  sunrise." 

The  man  was  rather  astonished  at  my  unwonted 
energy,  but  of  course  made  no  objection. 

"What  time  do  you  start,  sir  ?'*  he  asked. 

"I  want  her  ready  by  two,"  said  I. 

"Do  you  want  me  to  go  with  you,  sir?" 

I  pretended  to  consider,  and  then  told  him,  to 
his  obvious  relief,  that  I  could  dispense  with  his 
services. 

"Leave  her  at  the  end  of  your  jetty,"  I  said, 
"ready  for  me.  She'll  be  all  safe  there,  won't  she?" 

"Oh,  yes,  sir.  Nobody'll  be  about,  except  the 
sentries,  and  they  won't  touch  her." 

I  privately  hoped  that  not  even  the  sentries 
would  be  about,  but  I  didn't  say  so. 

"Of  course,  sir,  I  shall  lock  the  gate.  You've 
got  your  key  ?" 

"Yes,  all  right,  and  here  you  are — and  much 
obliged  for  your  trouble." 

Highly  astonished  and  grateful  at  receiving  a 
large  tip  for  no  obvious  reason  (rather  a  mistake 
on  my  part),  the  man  was  profuse  in  promising  to 


148  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

make  every  arrangement  for  my  comfort.  Even 
when  I  asked  for  a  few  cushions,  he  dissembled  his 
scorn  and  agreed  to  put  them  in. 

"And  mind  you  don't  sit  up,"  I  said  as  I  left 
him. 

"I'm  not  likely  to  sit  up  if  I'm  not  obliged," 
he  answered.  "Hope  you'll  have  good  sport,  sir." 

From  the  harbor  I  made  my  way  straight  to  the 
Golden  House.  The  Colonel  was  rather  sur- 
prised to  see  me  again  so  soon,  but  when  I  told 
him  I  came  on  business,  he  put  his  occupations  on 
one  side  and  listened  to  me. 

I  began  with  some  anxiety,  for  if  he  suspected 
my  good  faith  all  would  be  lost.  However,  I  was 
always  a  good  hand  at  a  lie,  and  the  Colonel  was 
not  the  President. 

"I've  come  about  that  money  question,"  I  said. 

"Well,  have  you  come  to  your  senses  ?"  he 
asked,  with  his  habitual  rudeness. 

"I  can't  give  you  the  money,"  I  went  on. 

"The  devil  you  can't  !"  he  broke  in.  "You  sit 
there  and  tell  me  that  ?  Do  you  know  that  if 
the  soldiers  don't  have  money  in  a  few  hours, 
they'll  upset  me  ?  They're  ready  to  do  it  any 
minute.  By  Jove  !  I  don't  know  now  when  I 
give  an  order  whether  I  shall  be  obeyed  or  get  a 
bullet  through  my  head." 

"Pray  be  calm,"  said  I.  "You  didn't  let  me 
finish  !" 


I  WORK  UPON  HUMAN  NATURE.          149 

"Let  you  finish  !"  he  cried.  "You  seem  to 
think  jabber  does  everything.  The  end  of  it  all 
is,  that  either  you  give  me  the  money,  or  I  take 
it — and  if  you  interfere,  look  out  !" 

"That  is  just  what  I  was  going  to  propose,  if 
you  hadn't  interrupted  me,"  I  said  quietly,  but 
with  inward  exultation,  for  I  saw  he  was  just  in 
the  state  of  mind  to  walk  eagerly  into  the  trap  I 
was  preparing  for  him. 

"What  do  you  mean  ?"  he  asked. 

I  explained  ro  him  that  it  was  impossible  for  me 
to  'give  up  the  money.  My  reputation  was  at 
stake;  it  was  my  duty  to  die  in  defense  of  that 
money — a  duty  which,  I  hastened  to  add,  I  en- 
tertained no  intention  of  performing. 

"But,"  I  went  on,  "although  I  am  bound  not 
to  surrender  the  money,  I  am  not  bound  to  antici- 
pate a  forcible  seizure  of  it.  In  times  of  disturb- 
ance parties  of  ruffians  often  turn  to  plunder.  Not 
even  the  most  rigorous  precautions  can  guard 
against  it.  Now  it  would  be  very  possible  that 
even  to-night  a  band  of  such  marauders  might 
make  an  attack  on  the  bank,  and  carry  off  all  the 
money  in  the  safe." 

"Oh!"  said  the  Colonel,  "  that's  the  game,  is  it?" 

"That,"  I  replied,  "is  the  game;  and  a  very  neat 
game  too,  if  you'll  play  it  properly." 

"And  what  will  they  say  in  Europe,  when  they 
hear  the  Provisional  government  is  looting 
private  property  ?" 


150  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

"My  dear  Colonel,  you  force  me  to  much  ex- 
planation. You  will,  of  course,  not  appear  in  the 
matter." 

"I  should  like  to  be  there,"  he  remarked.  "If 
I  weren't,  the  men  mightn't  catch  the  exact  drift 
of  the  thing." 

"You  will  be  there,  of  course,  but  incognito. 
Look  here,  Colonel,  it's  as  plain  as  two  peas.  Give 
out  that  you're  going  to  reconnoiter  the  coast  and 
keep  an  eye  on  'The  Songstress.'  Draw  off  your 
companies  from  the  Piazza  on  that  pretense.  Then 
take  fifteen  or  twenty  men  you  can  trust — not 
more,  for  it's  no  use  taking  more  than  you  can 
help,  and  resistance  is  out  of  the  question.  About 
two,  when  everything  is  quiet,  surround  the  bank. 
Jones  will  open  when  you  knock.  Don't  hurt  him, 
but  take  him  outside  and  keep  him  quiet.  Go  in 
and  take  the  money.  Here's  the  key  of  the  safe. 
Then,  if  you  like,  set  fire  to  the  place." 

"Bravo,  my  boy  !"  said  the  Colonel.  "There's 
stuff  in  you  after  all.  Upon  my  word,  I  was  afraid 
you  were  going  to  turn  virtuous." 

I  laughed  as  wickedly  as  I  could. 

"And  what  are  you  going  to  get  out  of  it?"  he 
said.  "I  suppose  that's  coming  next  ?" 

As  the  reader  knows,!  wasn't  going  to  get  any- 
thing out  of  it,  except  myself  and  the  Signorina. 
But  it  wouldn't  do  to  tell  the  Colonel  that;  he 
would  not  believe  in  disinterested  conduct.  So  I 


I  WORK  UPON  HUMAN  NATURE.  151 

bargained  with  him  for  a  douceur  of  thirty  thou- 
sand dollars,  which  he  promised  so  readily  that 
I  strongly  doubted  whether  he  ever  meant  to 
pay  it. 

"Do  you  think  there's  any  danger  of  Whitting- 
ham  making  an  attack  while  we're  engaged  on 
the  job  ?" 

The  Colonel  was,  in  common  parlance,  getting 
rather  warmer  than  I  liked.  It  was  necessary  to 
mislead  him. 

"I  don't  think  so,"  I  replied.  "He  can't  possibly 
have  organized  much  of  a  party  here  yet.  There's 
some  discontent,  no  doubt,  but  not  enough  for 
him  to  rely  on." 

"There's  plenty  of  discontent,"  said  the  Colonel. 

"There  won't  be  in  a  couple  of  hours." 

"Why  not  ?" 

"Why,  because  you're  going  down  to  the  bar- 
racks to  announce  a  fresh  installment  of  pay  to 
the  troops  to-morrow  morning — a  handsome  in- 
stallment." 

"Yes,"  said  he  thoughtfully,  "that  ought  to  keep 
them  quiet  for  one  night.  Fact  is,  they  don't  care 
twopence  either  for  me  or  Whittingham;  and  if 
they  think  they'll  get  more  out  of  me  they'll  stick 
to  me." 

"Of  course  I  assented.  Indeed,  it  was  true 
enough  as  long  as  the  President  was  not  on  the 
spot;  but  I  thought  privately,  that  the  Colonel 
did  not  allow  enough  for  his  rival's  personal  in- 


152  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

fluence  and  prestige,  if  he  once  got  face  to  face 
with  the  troops. 

"Yes,"  the  Colonel  went  on,  "I'll  do  that,  and 
what's  more,  I'll  put  the  people  in  good  humor 
by  sending  down  orders  for  free  drink  in  the 
Piazza  to-night." 

"Delightfully  old-fashioned  and  baronial,"  I  re- 
marked. "I  think  it's  a  good  idea.  Have  a  bon- 
fire and  make  it  complete.  I  don't  suppose  Whit- 
tingham  dreams  of  any  attempt,  but  it  will  make 
the  riot  even  more  plausible." 

"At  any  rate,  they'll  all  be  too  drunk  to  make 
trouble,"  said  he. 

"Well,  that's  about  all,  isn't  it?"  said  I.  "I 
shall  be  off.  I've  got  to  write  to  my  Directors  and 
ask  instructions  for  the  investment  of  the  money." 

"You'll  live  to  be  hanged,  Martin,"  said  the 
Colonel,  with  evident  admiration. 

"Not  by  you,  eh,  Colonel  ?  Whatever  might 
have  happened  if  I'd  been  obstinate  !  Hope  I 
shall  survive  to  dance  at  your  wedding  anyhow, 
Less  than  a  week  now  !" 

"Yes,"  said  he,  "it's  Sunday  (though,  by  Jove, 
I'd  forgotten  it),  and  next  Saturday's  the  day  !" 

He  really  looked  quite  the  happy  bridegroom 
as  he  said  this,  and  I  left  him  to  contemplate  his 
bliss. 

"I  would  bet  ten  to  one  that  day  never  comes," 
I  thought,  as  I  walked  away.  "Even  if  I  don't 


I  WORK  UPON  HUMAN  NATURE.  153 

win  I'll  back  the  President  to  be  back  before 
that." 

The  Colonel's  greed  had  triumphed  over  his 
wits,  and  he  had  fallen  into  my  snare  with  greater 
readiness  than  I  could  have  hoped.  The  question 
remained,  What  would  the  President  do  when 
he  got  the  Signorina's  letter  ?  It  may  conduce 
to  a  better  understanding  of  the  position  if  I  tell 
what  that  letter  was.  She  gave  it  me  to  read  over, 
after  we  had  compiled  it  together,  and  I  still 
have  my  copy.  It  ran  as  follows: 

"I  can  hardly  hope  you  will  trust  me  again, 
but  if  I  betrayed  you,  you  drove  me  to  it.  I  have 
given  them  your  money;  it  is  in  the  bank  now. 
M.  refuses  to  give  it  up,  and  the  C.  means  to  take 
it  to-night.  He  will  have  only  a  few  men,  the 
rest  not  near.  He  will  be  at  the  bank  at  two,  with 
about  twenty  men.  Take  your  own  measures.  All 
here  favor  you.  He  threatens  me  with  violence 
unless  I  marry  him  at  once.  He  watches  The 
Songstress,'  but  if  you  can  leave  her  at  anchor  and 
land  in  a  boat  there  will  be  no  suspicion.  I  swear 
this  is  true;  do  not  punish  me  more  by  disbeliev- 
ing1 me.  I  make  no  protest.  But  if  you  come  back 
to  me  I  will  give  you,  in  return  for  pardon,  any- 
thing you  ask  !  '  CHRISTINA. 

"P.  S. — M.  and  the  C.  are  on  bad  terms,  and  M. 
will  not  be  active  against  _you." 


154  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

Upon  the  whole  I  thought  this  would  bring 
him.  I  doubted  whether  he  would  believe  very 
much  in  it,  but  it  looked  probable  (indeed,  it  was 
word  for  word  true,  as  far  as  it  went),  and  held 
out  a  bait  that  he  would  find  hard  to  resist.  Again, 
he  was  so  fond  of  a  bold  stroke,  and  so  devoid 
of  fear,  that  it  was  very  likely  he  would  come  and 
see  if  it  were  true.  If,  as  we  suspected,  he  already 
had  a  considerable  body  of  adherents  on  shore, 
•he  could  land  and  reconnoiter  without  very  great 
danger  of  falling  into  the  Colonel's  hands. 
Finally,  even  if  he  didn't  come,  we  hoped  the  let- 
ter would  be  enough  to  divert  his  attention  from 
any  thought  of  fugitive  boats  and  runaway  lovers. 
I  could  have  made  the  terms  of  it  even  more  al- 
luring, but  the  Signorina,  with  that  extraordina- 
rily distorted  morality  distinctive  of  her  sex,  re- 
fused to  swear  to  anything  literally  untrue  in  a 
letter  which  was  itself  from  beginning  to  end  a 
monumental  falsehood;  though  not  a  student  of 
ethics,  she  was  keenly  alive  to  the  distinction  be- 
tween the  expressio  falsi  and  the  suppressio  veri. 
The  only  passage  she  doubted  about  was  the  last. 
"If  you  come  back  to  me."  "But  then  he  won't 
come  back  to  me  if  I'm  not  there  !"  she  exclaimed, 
triumphantly.  What  happened  to  him  after  he 
landed — whether  he  cooked  the  Colonel's  goose 
or  the  Colonel  cooked  his — I  really  could  not  af- 
ford to  consider.  As  a  matter  of  personal  prefer- 


I  WORK  UPON  HUMAN  NATURE.  155 

ence,  I  should  have  liked  the  former,  but  I  did 
not  allow  any  such  considerations  to  influence  my 
conduct.  My  only  hope  was  that  the  killing 
would  take  long  enough  to  leave  time  for  our  un- 
obtrusive exit.  At  the  same  time,  as  a  matter  of 
betting,  I  would  have  laid  long  odds  against  Mc- 
Gregor. 

To  my  mind  it  is  nearly  as  difficult  to  be  con- 
sistently selfish  as  to  be  absolutely  unselfish.  I 
had,  at  this  crisis,  every  inducement  to  concentrate 
all  my  efforts  on  myself,  but  I  could  not  get  Jones 
out  of  my  head.  It  was  certainly  improbable  that 
Jones  would  try  to  resist  the  marauding  party; 
but  neither  the  Colonel  nor  his  chosen  band  was 
likely  to  be  scrupulous,  and  it  was  impossible  not 
to  see  that  Jones  might  get  a  bullet  through  his 
head;  indeed,  I  fancied  such  a  step  would  rather 
commend  itself  to  the  Colonel,  as  giving  a  bona 
fide  look  to  the  affair.  Jones  had  often  been  the 
cause  of  great  inconvenience  to  me,  but  I  didn't 
wish  to  have  his  death  on  my  conscience,  so  I 
was  very  glad  when  I  happened  to  meet  him  on 
my  way  back  from  the  Golden  House,  and  seized 
the  opportunity  of  giving  him  a  friendly  hint. 

I  took  him  and  sat  him  down  beside  me  on  a 
bench  in  the  Piazza.  I  was  in  no  way  disturbed 
by  the  curious  glances  of  the  three  soldiers  who 
were  evidently  charged  to  keep  an  eye  on  the 
bank  and  my  dealings  with  it. 


156  A  MAN  0F  MARK. 

I  began  by  pledging  Jones  to  absolute  secrecy, 
and  then  I  intimated  to  him,  in  a  roundabout  way, 
that  the  Colonel  and  I  were  both  very  apprehen- 
sive of  an  attack  on  the  bank. 

"The  town,"  said  I,  "is  in  a  most  unsettled  con- 
dition, and  many  dangerous  characters  are  about. 
Under  these  circumstances  I  have  felt  compelled 
to  leave  the  defense  of  our  property  in  the  hands 
of  the  Government.  I  have  formally  intimated  to 
the  authorities  that  we  shall  hold  them  responsible 
for  any  loss  occasioned  to  us  by  public  disorder. 
The  Colonel,  in  the  name  of  the  Government,  has 
accepted  that  responsibility.  I  therefore  desire  to 
tell  you,  Mr.  Jones,  that  in  the  lamentable  event 
of  any  attack  on  the  bank  it  will  not  be  expected 
of  you  to  expose  your  life  by  resistance.  Such  a 
sacrifice  would  be  both  uncalled  for  and  useless; 
and  I  must  instruct  you  that  the  Government  in- 
sists that  their  measures  shall  not  be  put  in  danger 
of  frustration  by  any  rash  conduct  on  our  part 
I  am  unable  to  be  at  the  bank  this  evening; 
but  in  the  event  of  any  trouble  you  will  oblige  me 
by  not  attempting  to  meet  force  by  force.  You 
will  yield,  and  we  shall  rely  on  our  remedy 
against  the  Government  in  case  of  loss." 

These  instructions  so  fully  agreed  with  the  nat- 
ural bent  of  Jones'  mind  that  he  readily 
acquiesced  in  them  and  expressed  high  apprecia- 
tion of  my  foresight. 


I  WORK  UPON  HUMAN  NATURE.     .     157 

"Take  care  of  yourself  and  Mrs.  Jones,  my  dear 
fellow,"  I  concluded;  "that  is  all  you  have  to  do, 
and  I  shall  be  satisfied." 

I  parted  from  him  affectionately,  wondering  if 
my  path  in  life  would  ever  cross  the  honest,  stupid 
old  fellow's  again,  and  heartily  hoping  that  his 
fortune  would  soon  take  him  out  of  the  rogue's 
nest  in  which  he  had  been  dwelling. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

FAREWELL    TO     AUREATALAND. 

The  night  came  on,  fair  and  still,  clear  and  star- 
lit; but  there  was  no  moon  and,  outside  the  im- 
mediate neighborhood  of  the  main  streets,  the 
darkness  was  enough  to  favor  our  hope  of  escap- 
ing notice  without  being  so  intense  as  to  em- 
barrass our  footsteps.  Everything,  in  fact,  seemed 
to  be  on  our  side,  and  I  was  full  of  buoyant  con- 
fidence as  I  drank  the  last  solitary  glass  to  the 
success  of  our  enterprise,  put  my  revolver  in  my 
pocket,  and,  on  the  stroke  of  midnight,  stole  from 
my  lodgings.  I  looked  up  toward  the  bank  and 
dimly  descried  three  or  four  motionless  figures, 
whom  I  took  to  be  sentries  guarding  the  treasure. 
The  street  itself  was  almost  deserted,  but  from 
where  I  stood  I  could  see  the  Piazza  crowded  with 
a  throng  of  people,  whose  shouts  and  songs  told 
me  that  the  Colonel's  hospitality  was  being  fully 
appreciated.  There  was  dancing  going  on  to  the 
strains  of  the  military  band,  and  every  sign 
showed  that  our  good  citizens  intended,  in  familiar 
phrase,  to  m^ke  a  night  of  it. 

I  walked  swiftly  and  silently  down  to  the  jetty. 
Yes,  the  boat  was  all  right  !  I  looked  to  her  fires, 


FAREWELL  TO  AUREATALAND.  159 

and  left  her  moored  by  one  rope  ready  to  be 
launched  into  the  calm  black  sea  in  an  instant. 
Then  I  strolled  along,  by  the  harbor  side.  Here 
I  met  a  couple  of  sentries.  Innocently  I  entered 
into  conversation  with  them,  condoling  on  their 
hard  fate  in  being  kept  on  duty  while  pleasure 
was  at  the  helm  in  the  Piazza.  Gently  deprecating 
such  excess  of  caution,  I  pointed  out  to  them  the 
stationary  lights  of  "The  Songstress,"  four  or  five 
miles  out  to  sea,  and  with  a  respectful  smile  at  the 
Colonel's  uneasiness,  left  the  seed  I  had  sown  to 
grow  in  prepared  soil.  I  dared  do  no  more,  and 
had  to  trust  for  the  rest  to  their  natural  inclina- 
tion to  the  neglect  of  duty. 

When  I  got  back  to  the  bottom  of  Liberty 
Street,  I  ensconced  myself  in  the  shelter  of  a  little 
group  of  trees  which  stood  at  one  side  of  the  road- 
way. Just  across  the  road,  which  ran  at  right 
angles  to  the  street,  the  wood  began,  and  a  quarter 
of  an  hour's  walk  through  its  shades  would  bring 
us  to  the  jetty  where  the  boat  lay.  My  trees  made 
a  perfect  screen,  and  here  I  stood  awaiting  events. 
For  some  time  nothing  was  audible  but  an  ever- 
increasing  tumult  of  joviality  from  the  Piazza. 
But  after  about  twenty  minutes  I  awoke  to  the 
fact  that  a  constant  dribble  of  men,  singly  or  in 
pairs,  had  begun  to  flow  pa'st  mejfrom  the  Piazza, 
down  Liberty  Street,  across  the  road  behind 
me,  and  into  the  wood.  Some  were  in  uni- 


160  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

form,  others  dressed  in  common  clothes;  one 
or  two  I  recognized  as  members  of  Johnny 
Carr's  missing  band.  The  strong  contrast  be- 
tween the  prevailing  revelry  and  the  stealthy, 
cautious  air  of  these  passers-by  would  alone  have 
suggested  that  they  were  bent  on  business;  put- 
ting two  and  two  together,  I  had  not  the  least 
doubt  that  they  were  the  President's  adherents 
making  their  way  down  to  the  water's  edge  to  re- 
ceive their  chief.  So  he  was  coming;  the  letter 
had  done  its  work  !  Some  fifty  or  more  must  have 
come  and  gone  before  the  stream  ceased,  and  I 
reflected,  with  great  satisfaction,  that  the  Colonel 
was  likely  to  have  his  hands  very  full  in  the  next 
hour  or  two. 

Half-an-hour  or  so  passed  uneventfully;  the 
bonfire  still  blazed;  the  songs  and  dancing  were 
still  in  full  swing.  It  was  close  upon  the  fateful 
hour  of  two,  when,  looking  from  my  hiding-place, 
I  saw  a  slight  figure  in  black  coming  quickly  and 
fearfully  along  the  road. 

I  recognized  the  Signorina  at  once,  as  I  should 
recognize  her  any  day  among  a  thousand,  and, 
as  she  paused  nearly  opposite  where  I  was,  I 
gently  called  her  name  and  showed  myself  for  a 
moment  She  ran  to  me  at  once. 

"Is  it  all  right  ?"  she  asked,  breathlessly. 

"We  shall  see  in  a  moment,"  said  I.  "The  at- 
tack is  coming  off;  it  will  begin  directly." 


FAREWELL  TO  AUREATALAND.  161 

But  the  attack  was  not  the  next  thing  we  saw. 
We  had  both  retreated  again  to  the  friendly 
shadow  whence  we  could  see  without  being  seen. 
Hardly  had  we  settled  ourselves  than  the  Sig- 
norina  whispered  to  me,  pointing  across  the  road 
to  the  wood : 

"What's  that,  Jack  ?" 

I  followed  the  line  of  her  finger  and  made  out 
a  row  of  figures  standing  motionless  and  still  on 
the  very  edge  of  the  wood.  It  was  too  dark  to 
distinguish  individuals;  but  even  as  we  looked  the 
silent  air  wafted  to  our  eager  ears  a  low-voiced 
word  of  command: 

"Mind,  not  a  sound  till  I  give  the  word." 

"The  President  !"  exclaimed  the  Signorina,  in  a 
loud  whisper. 

"Hush,  or  he'll  hear,"  said  I,  "and  we're  done." 

Clearly  nothing  would  happen  from  that  quar- 
ter till  it  was  called  forth  by  events  in  the  op- 
posite direction.  The  Signorina  was  strongly 
agitated ;  she  clung  to  me  closely,  and  I  saw  with 
alarm  that  the  very  proximity  of  the  man  she 
stood  in  such  awe  of  was  too  much  for  her  com- 
posure. When  I  had  soothed,  and  I  fear  half- 
frightened,  her  into  stillness,  I  again  turned  my 
eyes  toward  the  Piazza.  The  fire  had  at  last 
flickered  out  and  the  revels  seemed  on  the  wane. 
Suddenly  a  body  of  men  appeared  in  close  order, 
marching  down  the  street  toward  the  bank.  We 


162  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

stood  perhaps  a  hundred  yards  from  that  build- 
ing, which  was,  in  its  turn,  about  two  hundred 
from  the  Piazza.  Steadily  they  came  along;  no 
sound  reached  us  from  the  wood. 

"This  is  getting  interesting,"  I  said.  "There'll 
be  trouble  soon." 

As  near  as  I  could  see,  the  Colonel's  band,  for 
such  it  was  no  doubt,  did  not  number  more  than 
five-and-twenty  at  the  outside.  Now  they  were 
at  the  bank.  I  could  hardly  see  what  happened, 
but  there  seemed  to  be  a  moment's  pause;  prob- 
ably someone  had  knocked  and  they  were  wait- 
ing. A  second  later  a  loud  shout  rang  through 
the  street  and  I  saw  a  group  of  figures  crowding 
round  the  door  and  pushing  a  way  into  my  poor 
bank. 

"The  gods  preserve  Jones  !"  I  whispered.  "I 
hope  the  old  fool  won't  try  to  stop  them." 

As  I  spoke,  I  heard  a  short,  sharp  order  from 
behind,  "Now  !  Charge  !" 

As  the  word  was  given  another  body  of  fifty 
or  more  rushed  by  us  full  tilt,  and  at  their  head 
we  saw  the  President,  sword  in  hand,  running  like 
a  young  man  and  beckoning  his  men  on.  Up  the 
street  they  swept.  Involuntarily  we  waited  a 
moment  to  watch  them.  Just  as  they  came  near 
the  bank  they  sent  up  a  shout: 

"The  President !  the  President !  Death  to 
traitors  !" 


FAREWELL  TO  AUREATALAND.  163 

Then  there  was  a  volley,  and  they  closed  round 
the  building. 

"Now  for  our  turn,  Christina,"  said  I. 

She  grasped  my  arm  tightly,  and  we  sped  across 
the  road  and  into  the  wood.  It  seemed  darker 
than  when  I  came  through  before,  or  perhaps  my 
eyes  were  dazzled  by  the  glare  of  the  street  lamps. 
But  still  we  got  along  pretty  well,  I  helping  my 
companion  with  all  my  power. 

"Can  we  do  it  ?"  she  gasped. 

"Please  God,"  said  I;  "a  clear  quarter  of  an 
hour  will  do  it,  and  they  ought  to  take  that  to 
finish  off  the  Colonel."  For  I  had  little  doubt  of 
the  issue  to  that  melee. 

On  we  sped,  and  already  we  could  see  the 
twinkle  of  the  waves  through  the  thinning  trees. 
Five  hundred  yards  more,  and  there  lay  life  and 
liberty  and  love  ! 

Well,  of  course,  I  might  have  known.  Every- 
thing had  gone  so  smoothly  up  to  now,  that  any 
student  of  the  laws  of  chance  could  have  foretold 
that  fortune  was  only  delaying  the  inevitable  slap 
in  the  face.  A  plan  that  seemed  wild  and  risky 
had  proved  in  the  result  as  effectual  as  the  wisest 
scheme.  By  a  natural  principle  of  compensation, 
the  simplest  obstacle  was  to  bring  us  to  grief. 
"There's  many  a  slip,"  says  the  proverb.  Very 
likely  !  One  was  enough  for  our  business.  For 
just  as  we  neared  the  edge  of  the  wood,  just  as 


164  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

our  eyes  were  gladdened  by  the  full  sight  of  the 
sea  across  the  intervening  patch  of  bare  land,  the 
Signorina  gave  a  cry  of  pain  and,  in  spite  of  my 
arm,  fell  heavily  to  the  ground.  In  a  moment  I 
was  on  my  knees  by  her  side.  An  old  root  grow- 
ing out  of  the  ground  !  That  was  all  !  And  there 
lay  my  dear  girl  white  and  still. 

"What  is  it,  sweet?"  I  whispered. 

"My  ankle  !"  she  murmured;  "oh,  Jack,  it  hurts 
so  !"  and  with  that  she  fainted. 

Half-an-hour — thirty  mortal  (but  seemingly  im- 
mortal) minutes  I  knelt  by  her  side  ministering 
to  her.  I  bound  up  the  poor  foot,  gave  her  brandy 
from  my  flask,  and  I  fanned  her  face  with  my 
handkerchief.  In  a  few  minutes  she  came  to,  but 
only,  poor  child,  to  sob  with  her  bitter  pain. 
Move  she  could  not,  and  would  not.  Again  and 
again  she  entreated  me  to  go  and  leave  her.  At 
last  I  persuaded  her  to  try  and  bear  the  agony  of 
being  carried  in  my  arms  the  rest  of  the  way.  I 
raised  her  as  gently  as  I  could,  wrung  to  the  heart 
by  her  gallantly-stifled  groan,  and  slowly  and 
painfully  I  made  my  way,  thus  burdened,  to  the 
edge  of  the  wood.  There  were  no  sentries  in  sight, 
and  with  a  new  spasm  of  hope  I  crossed  the  open 
land  and  neared  a  little  wicket  gate  that  led  to 
the  jetty.  A  sharp  turn  came  just  before  we 
reached  it,  and,  as  I  rounded  this  with  the  Sig- 
norina lying  yet  in  my  arms,  I  saw  a  horse  and  a 


FAREWELL  TO  AUREATALAND.  165 

man  standing  by  the  gate.  The  horse  was  flecked 
with  foam  and  had  been  ridden  furiously.  The 
man  was  calm  and  cool.  Of  course  he  was  !  It 
was  the  President ! 

My  hands  were  full  with  my  burden,  and  be- 
fore I  could  do  anything  I  saw  the  muzzle  of 
his  revolver  pointed  full — at  me  ?  Oh,  no  !  At 
the  Signorina  ! 

"If  you  move  a  step  I  shoot  her  through  the 
heart,  Martin,"  he  said,  in  the  quietest  voice  im- 
aginable. 

The  Signorina  looked  up  as  she  heard  his 
voice. 

'Tut  me  down,  Jack  !  It's  no  use,"  she  said; 
"I  knew  how  it  would  be." 

I  did  not  put  her  down,  but  I  stood  there  help- 
less, rooted  to  the  ground. 

"What's  the  matter  with  her  ?"  he  said. 

"Fell  and  sprained  her  ankle,"  I  replied. 

"Come,  Martin,"  said  he,  "it's  no  go,  and  you 
know  it.  A  near  thing;  but  you've  just  lost." 

"Are  you  going  to  stop  us  ?"  I  said. 

"Of  course  I  am,"  said  he. 

"Let  me  put  her  down,  and  we'll  have  a  fair 
fight." 

He  shook  his  head. 

"All  very  well  for  young  men,"  he  said.  "At  my 
age  if  a  man  holds  trumps  he  keeps  them." 

"How  long  have  you  been  here  ?" 


166  A  MAN  OE  MARK. 

"About  two  minutes.  When  I  didn't  see  you 
at  the  bank  I  thought  something  was  up,  so  I 
galloped  on  to  her  house.  No  one  there  !  So  I 
came  on  here.  A  good  shot,  eh  ?" 

The  fall  had  done  it  But  for  that  we  should 
have  been  safe. 

"Well  ?"  he  said. 

In  the  bitterness  of  my  heart  I  could  hardly 
speak.  But  I  was  not  going  to  play  either  the 
cur  or  the  fool,  so  I  said: 

"Your  trick,  sir,  and  therefore  your  lead.  I 
must  do  what  you  tell  me." 

"Honor  bright,  Martin  ?" 

"Yes,"  said  I,  "I  give  you  my  word.  Take  the 
revolver  if  you  like,"  and  I  nodded  my  head  to  the 
pocket  where  it  lay. 

"No,"  he  said,  "I  trust  you." 

"I  bar  a  rescue,"  said  I. 

"There  will  be  no  rescue,"  said  he  grimly. 

"If  the  Colonel  comes — " 

"The  Colonel  won't  come,"  he  said.  "Whose 
house  is  that  ?" 

It  was  my  boatman's. 

"Bring  her  there.    Poor  child,  she  suffers  !" 

We  knocked  up  the  boatman,  who  thus  did  not 
get  his  night's  rest  after  all  His  astonishment 
may  be  imagined. 

"Have  you  a  bed  ?"  said  the  President. 

"Yes,"  he  stammered,  recognizing  his  inter- 
locutor. 


FAREWELL  TO  AUREATALAND.  167 

"Then  carry  her  up,  Martin;  and  you,  send 
your  wife  to  her." 

I  took  her  up,  and  laid  her  gently  on  the  bed. 
The  President  followed  me.  Then  we  went  down- 
stairs again  into  the  little  parlor. 

"Let  us  have  a  talk,"  he  said;  and  he  added  to 
the  man,  "Give  us  some  brandy,  quick  !  And 
then  go." 

He  was  obeyed,  and  we  were  left  alone,  with  the 
dim  light  of  a  single  candle. 

The  President  sat  down  and  began  to  smoke. 
He  offered  me  a  cigar  and  I  took  it,  but  he  said 
nothing.  I  was  surprised  at  his  leisurely,  ab- 
stracted air.  Apparently  he  had  nothing  in  the 
world  to  do  but  sit  and  keep  me  company. 

"If  your  Excellency,"  said  I,  instinctively  giv- 
ing him  his  old  title,  "has  business  elsewhere  you 
can  leave  me  safely.  I  shall  not  break  my  word." 

"I  know  that,  I  know  that,"  he  answered.  "But 
I'd  rather  stay  here;  I  want  to  have  a  talk." 

"But  aren't  there  some  things  to  settle  up  in 
the  town  ?" 

"The  doctor's  doing  all  that,"  he  said.  "You 
see  there's  no  danger  now.  There's  no  one  left 
to  lead  them  against  me." 

"Then  the  Colonel  is—?" 

"Yes,"  he  said  gravely,  "he  is  dead.  I  shot 
him." 

"In  the  attack  ?" 


168  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

"Not  exactly;  the  fighting  was  over.  A  very 
short  affair,  Martin.  They  never  had  a  chance; 
and  as  soon  as  two  or  three  had  fallen  and  the 
rest  saw  me,  they  threw  up  the  sponge." 

"And  the  Colonel  ?" 

"He  fought  well.  He  killed  two  of  my  fel- 
lows; then  a  lot  of  them  flung  themselves  on 
him  and  disarmed  him." 

"And  you  killed  him  in  cold  blood  ?" 

The  President  smiled  slightly. 

"Six  men  fell  in  that  affair — five  besides  the 
Colonel.  Does  it  strike  you  that  you,  in  fact, 
killed  the  five  to  enable  you  to  run  away  with  the 
girl  you  loved  ?" 

It  hadn't  struck  me  in  that  light,  but  it  was 
quite  irrelevant. 

"But  for  your  scheme  I  should  have  come  back 
without  a  blow,"  he  continued;  "but  then  I  should 
have  shot  McGregor  just  the  same." 

"Because  he  led  the  revolt  ?" 

"Because,"  said  the  President,  "he  has  been  a 
traitor  from  the  beginning  even  to  the  end — be- 
cause he  tried  to  rob  me  of  all  I  held  dear  in  the 
world.  If  you  like,"  he  added,  with  a  shrug,  "be- 
cause he  stood  between  me  and  my  will.  So  I 
went  up  to  him  and  told  him  his  hour  was  come, 
and  I  shot  him  through  the  head.  He  died  like 
a  man,  Martin;  I  will  say  that." 

I  could  not  pretend  to  regret  the  dead  man. 


FAREWELL  TO  AUREATALAND.  169 

Indeed,  I  had  been  near  doing  the  same  deed 
myself.  But  I  shrank  before  this  calm  ruthless- 
ness. 

Another  long  pause  followed.  Then  the  Presi- 
dent said : 

"I'm  sorry  for  all  this,  Martin — sorry  you  and  I 
came  to  blows." 

"You  played  me  false  about  the  money,"  I 
said  bitterly.  • 

"Yes,  yes,"  he  answered  gently;  "I  don't  blame 
you.  You  were  bound  to  me  by  no  ties.  Of 
course  you  saw  my  plan  ?" 

"I  supposed  your  Excellency  meant  to  keep 
the  money  and  throw  me  over." 

"Not  altogether,"  he  said.  "Of  course  I  was 
bound  to  have  the  money.  But  it  was  the  other 
thing,  you  know.  As  far  as  the  money  went,  I 
would  have  taken  care  you  came  to  no  harm." 

"What  was  it,  then  ?" 

"I  thought  you  understood  all  along,"  he  said 
with  some  surprise.  "I  saw  you  were  my  rival 
with  Christina,  and  my  game  was  to  drive  you 
out  of  the  country  by  making  the  place  too  hot 
for  you." 

"She  told  me  you  didn't  suspect  about  me  and 
her  till  quite  the  end." 

"Did  she  ?"  he  answered  with  a  smile;  "I  must 
be  getting  clever  to  deceive  two  such  wide-awake 
young  people.  Of  course  I  saw  it  all  along.  But 


170  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

you  had  more  grit  than  I  thought.     I've  never 
been  so  nearly  done  by  any  man  as  by  you." 

"But  for  luck  you  would  have  been,"  said  I. 

"Yes,"  but  I  count  luck  as  one  of  my  resources," 
he  replied. 

"Well,  what  are  you  going  to  do  now  ?" 

He  took  no  notice,  but  went  on: 

"You  played  too  high.  It  was  all  or  nothing 
with  you,  just  as  it  is  with  me.  But  for  that 
we  could  have  stood  together.  I'm  sorry  Martin ; 
I  liked  you,  you  know." 

For  the  life  of  me  I  had  never  been  able  to  help 
liking  him. 

"But  likings  mustn't  interfere  with  duty,"  he 
went  on,  smiling.  "What  claim  have  you  at  my 
hands  ?" 

"Decent  burial,  I  suppose,"  I  answered. 

He  got  up  and  paced  the  room  for  a  moment  or 
two.  I  waited  with  some  anxiety,  for  life  is  worth 
something  to  a  young  man,  even  when  things 
look  blackest,  and  I  never  was  a  hero. 

"I  make  you  this  offer,"  he  said  at  last.  "Your 
boat  lies  there  ready.  Get  into  her  and  go;  other- 
wise— " 

"I  see,"  said  I.    "And  you  will  marry  her  ?" 
"Yes,"  he  said. 

"Against  her  will  ?" 

He  looked  at  me  with  something  like  pity. 


FAREWELL  TO  AUREATALAND.  171 

"Who  can  tell  what  a  woman's  will  will  be  in 
a  week  ?  In  less  than  that  she  will  marry  me 
cheerfully.  I  hope  you  may  grieve  as  short  a 
time  as  she  will." 

In  my  inmost  heart  I  knew  it  was  true.  I  had 
staked  everything,  not  for  a  woman's  love,  but 
for  the  whim  of  a  girl  !  For  a  moment  it  was 
too  hard  for  me,  and  I  bowed  my  head  on  the 
table  by  me  and  hid  my  face. 

Then  he  came  and  put  his  hand  on  mine,  and 
said: 

"Yes,  Martin;  young  and  old,  we  are  all  alike. 
They're  not  worth  quarreling  for.  But  nature's 
too  strong." 

"May  I  see  her  before  I  go  ?"  I  asked. 

"Yes,"  he  said. 

"Alone  ?" 

"Yes,"  he  said  once  more.  "Go  now — if  she 
can  see  you." 

I  went  up  and  cautiously  opened  the  door. 
The  Signorina  was  lying  on  the  bed,  with  a  shawl 
over  her.  She  seemed  to  be  asleep.  I  bent  over 
her  and  kissed  her.  She  opened  her  eyes,  and 
said,  in  a  weary  voice: 

"Is  it  you,  Jack  ?" 

"Yes,  my  darling,"  said  I.  "I  am  going.  I 
must  go  or  die;  and  whether  I  go  or  die,  I  must 
be  alone." 


172  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

She  was  strangely  quiet,  even  apathetic.  As  I 
knelt  down  by  her  she  raised  herself,  and  took 
my  face  between  her  hands  and  kissed  me,  not 
passionately,  but  tenderly. 

"My  poor  Jack  !"  she  said;  "it  was  no  use, 
dear.  It  is  no  use  to  fight  against  him." 

Here  was  her  strange  subjection  to  that  in- 
fluence again. 

"You  love  me  ?"  I  cried  in  my  pain. 

"Yes,"  she  said,  "but  I  am  very  tired;  and  he 
will  be  good  to  me." 

Without  another  word  I  went  from  her,  with 
the  bitter  knowledge  that  my  great  grief  found 
but  a  pale  reflection  in  her  heart. 

"I  am  ready  to  go,"  I  said  to  the  President. 

"Come,  then,"  he  replied.  "Here,  take  these, 
you  may  want  them,"  and  he  thrust  a  bundle  of 
notes  into  my  hand  (some  of  my  own  from  the 
bank  I  afterward  discovered). 

Arrived  at  the  boat,  I  got  in  mechanically,  and 
made  all  preparations  for  the  start. 

Then  the  President  took  my  hand. 

"Good-bye,  Jack  Martin,  and  good  luck.  Some 
day  we  may  meet  again.  Just  now  there's  no 
room  for  us  both  here.  You  bear  no  malice  ?" 

"No,  sir,"  said  I.  "A  fair  fight,  and  you've 
won." 

As  I  was  pushing  off,  he  added: 


FAREWELL  TO  AUREATALAND.  173 

"When  you  arrive,  send  me  word." 
I  nodded  silently. 

"Good-bye,  and  good  luck,"  he  said  again. 
I  turned  the  boat's  head  out  to  sea,  and  went 
forth  on  my  lonely  way  into  the  night 


CHAPTER  XV. 

A  DIPLOMATIC  ARRANGEMENT. 

As  far  as  I  am  concerned,  this  story  has  now 
reached  an  end.  With  my  departure  from  Au- 
reataland  I  re-entered  the  world  of  humdrum  life, 
and  since  that  memorable  night  in  1884,  noth- 
ing has  befallen  me  worthy  of  a  polite  reader's 
attention.  I  have  endured  the  drudgery  incident 
to  earning  a  living;  I  have  enjoyed  the  relaxa- 
tions every  wise  man  makes  for  himself.  But  I 
should  be  guilty  of  unpardonable  egotism  if  I 
supposed  that  I,  myself,  was  the  only,  or  the 
most,  interesting  subject  presented  in  the  forego- 
ing pages,  and  I  feel  I  shall  merely  be  doing  my 
duty  in  briefly  recording  the  facts  in  my  posses- 
sion concerning  the  other  persons  who  have  fig- 
ured in  this  record  and  the  country  where  its 
scene  was  laid. 

I  did  not,  of  course,  return  to  England,  on 
leaving  Aureataland.  I  had  no  desire  to  explain 
in  person  to  the  Directors  all  the  facts  with  which 
they  will  now  be  in  a  position  to  acquaint  them- 
selves. I  was  conscious  that,  at  the  last  at  all 
events,  I  had  rather  subordinated  their  interests 
to  my  own  necessities,  and  I  knew  well  that  my 


A  DIPLOMATIC  ARRANGEMENT.  175 

conduct  would  not  meet  with  the  indulgent  judg- 
ment that  it  perhaps  requires.  After  all,  men 
who  have  lost  three  hundred  thousand  dollars 
can  hardly  be  expected  to  be  impartial,  and  I 
saw  no  reason  for  submitting  myself  to  a  biased 
tribunal.  I  preferred  to  seek  my  fortune  in  a 
fresh  country  (and,  I  may  add,  under  a  fresh 
name),  and  I  am  happy  to  say  that  my  prosperity 
in  the  land  of  my  adoption  has  gone  far  to  justify 
the  President's  favorable  estimate  of  my  financial 
abilities.  My  sudden  disappearance  excited 
some  remark,  and  people  were  even  found  to  in- 
sinuate that  the  dollars  went  the  same  way  as  I 
did.  I  have  never  troubled  myself  to  contradict 
these  scandalous  rumors,  being  content  to  rely 
on  the  handsome  vindication  from  this  charge 
which  the  President  published.  In  addressing 
the  House  of  Assembly  shortly  after  his  resump- 
tion of  power  he  referred  at  length  to  the  circum- 
stances attendant  on  the  late  revolution,  and  re- 
marked that  although  he  was  unable  to  acquit  Mr. 
Martin  of  most  unjustifiable  intrigues  with  the 
rebels,  yet  he  was  in  a  position  to  assure  them, 
as  he  had  already  assured  those  to  whom  Mr. 
Martin  was  primarily  responsible,  that  that  gen- 
tleman's hasty  flight  was  dictated  solely  by  a  con- 
sciousness of  political  guilt,  and  that,  in  money 
matters,  Mr.  Martin's  hands  were  as  clean  as  his 
own.  The  reproach  that  had  fallen  on  the  fair 


176  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

fame  of  Aureataland  in  this  matter  was  due  not 
to  that  able  but  misguided  young  man,  but  to 
those  unprincipled  persons  who,  in  the  pursuit 
of  their  designs,  had  not  hesitated  to  plunder  and 
despoil  friendly  traders,  established  in  the  country 
under  the  sanction  of  public  faith. 

The  reproach  to  which  his  Excellency  elo- 
quently referred  consisted  in  the  fact  that  not  a 
cent  of  those  three  hundred  thousand  dollars 
which  lay  in  the  bank  that  night  was  ever  seen 
again!  The  theory  was  that  the  Colonel  had 
made  away  with  them,  and  the  President  took 
great  pains  to  prove  that  under  the  law  of  na- 
tions the  restored  Government  could  not  be  held 
responsible  for  this  occurrence.  I  know  as  little 
about  the  law  of  nations  as  the  President  him- 
self, but  I  felt  quite  sure  that  whatever  that  ex- 
alted code  might  say  (and  it  generally  seems  to 
justify  the  conduct  of  all  parties  alike),  none  of 
that  money  would  ever  find  its  wray  back  to  the 
Directors'  pockets.  In  this  matter  I  must  say  his 
Excellency  behaved  to  me  with  scrupulous  con- 
sideration; not  a  word  passed  his  lips  about  the 
second  loan,  about  that  unlucky  cable,  or  any 
other  dealings  with  the  money.  For  all  he  said, 
my  account  of  the  matter,  posted  to  the  Directors 
immediately  after  my  departure,  stood  unim- 
peached.  The  Directors,  however,  took  a  view 
opposed  to  his  Excellency's,  and  relations  be- 


A  DIPLOMATIC  ARRANGEMENT.  177 

came  so  strained  that  they  were  contemplating 
the  withdrawal  of  their  business  from  Whitting- 
ham  altogether,  when  events  occurred  which 
modified  their  action.  Before  I  lay  down  my  pen 
I  must  give  some  account  of  these  matters,  and 
I  cannot  do  so  better  than  by  inserting  a  letter 
which  I  had  the  honor  to  receive  from  his  Ex- 
cellency, some  two  years  after  I  last  saw  him. 
I  had  obeyed  his  wish  in  communicating  my  ad- 
dress to  him,  but  up  to  this  time  had  received 
only  a  short  but  friendly  note,  acquainting  me 
with  the  fact  of  his  marriage  to  the  Signorina, 
and  expressing  good  wishes  for  my  welfare  in  my 
new  sphere  of  action.  The  matters  to  which  the 
President  refers  became  to  some  extent  public 
property  soon  afterward,  but  certain  other  terms 
of  the  arrangement  are  now  given  to  the  world 
for  the  first  time. 

The  letter  ran  as  follows : 

"My  Dear  Martin — As  an  old  inhabitant  of 
Aureataland,  you  will  be  interested  in  the  news  I 
have  to  tell  you.  I  also  take  pleasure  in  hoping 
that,  in  spite  of  bygone  differences,  your  friendly 
feelings  toward  myself  will  make  you  glad  to  hear 
news  of  my  fortunes. 

"You  are  no  doubt  acquainted  generally  with 
the  course  of  events  here  since  you  left  us.  As 
regards  private  friends,  I  have  not  indeed  much 


178  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

to  tell  you.  You  will  not  be  surprised  to  learn 
that  Johnny  Carr  (who  always  speaks  of  you  with 
the  utmost  regard)  has  done  the  most  sensible 
thing  he  ever  did  in  his  life  in  making  Donna 
Antonia  his  wife.  She  is  a  thoroughly  good  girl, 
although  she  seems  to  have  a  very  foolish  preju- 
dice against  Christina.  I  was  able  to  assist  the 
young  people's  plans  by  the  gift  of  the  late  Colo- 
nel McGregor's  estates,  which  under  our  law 
passed  to  the  Head  of  the  State  on  that  gentle- 
man's execution  for  high  treason.  You  will  be 
amused  to  hear  of  another  marriage  in  our  circle. 
The  doctor  and  Madame  Devarges  have  made  a 
match  of  it,  and  society  rejoices  to  think  it  has 
now  heard  the  last  of  the  late  monsieur  and  his 
patriotic  sufferings.  Jones,  I  suppose  you  know, 
left  us  about  a  year  ago.  The  poor  old  fellow 
never  recovered  from  his  fright  on  that  night,  to 
say  nothing  of  the  cold  he  caught  in  your 
draughty  coal-cellar,  where  he  took  refuge.  The 
bank  relieved  him  in  response  to  his  urgent  peti- 
tions, and  they've  sent  us  out  a  young  Puritan, 
to  whom  it  would  be  quite  in  vain  to  apply  for  a 
timely  little  loan. 

"I  wish  I  could  give  you  as  satisfactory  an  ac- 
count of  public  affairs.  You  were  more  or  less 
behind  the  scenes  over  here,  so  you  know  that  to 
keep  the  machine  going  is  by  no  means  an  easy 
task.  I  have  kept  it  going,  single-handed,  for 


A  DIPLOMATIC  ARRANGEMENT.  179 

fifteen  years,  and  though  it's  the  custom  to  call 
me  a  mere  adventurer  (and  I  don't  say  that's 
wrong),  upon  my  word  I  think  I've  given  them 
a  pretty  decent  Government.  But  I've  had 
enough  of  it  by  now.  The  fact  is,  my  dear  Mar- 
tin, I'm  not  so  young  as  I  was.  In  years  I'm 
not  much  past  middle  age,  but  I've  had  the  devil 
of  a  life  of  it,  and  I  shouldn't  be  surprised  if  old 
Marcus  Whittingham's  lease  was  pretty  nearly 
up<  At  any  rate,  my  only  chance,  so  Anderson 
tells  me,  is  to  get  a  rest,  and  I'm  going  to  give 
myself  that  chance.  I  had  thought  at  first  of  try- 
ing to  find  a  successor  (as  I  have  been  denied  an 
heir  of  my  body),  and  I  thought  of  you.  But, 
while  I  was  considering  this,  I  received  a  confi- 
dential proposal  from  the  Government  of " 

(here  the  President  named  the  State  of  which 
Aureataland  had  formed  part).  "They  were 
very  anxious  to  get  back  their  province;  at  the 
same  time,  they  were  not  at  all  anxious  to  try 
conclusions  with  me  again.  In  short,  they  of- 
fered, if  Aureataland  would  come  back,  a  guar- 
antee of  local  autonomy  and  full  freedom;  they 
would  take  on  themselves  the  burden  of  the  debt, 
and  last,  but  not  least,  they  would  offer  the  pres- 
ent President  of  the  Republic  a  compensation  of 
500,000  dollars. 

"I  have  not  yet  finally  accepted  the  offer,  but 


180  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

I  am  going  to  do  so — obtaining,  as  a  matter  of 
form,  the  sanction  of  the  Assembly.  I  have  made 
them  double  their  offer  to  me,  but  in  the  public 
documents  the  money  is  to  stand  at  the  original 
figure.  This  recognition  of  my  services,  to- 
gether with  my  little  savings  (restored,  my  dear 
Martin,  to  the  wash-stand),  will  make  me  pretty 
comfortable  in  my  old  age,  and  leave  a  compe- 
tence for  my  widow.  Aureataland  has  had  a  run 
alone;  if  there  had  been  any  grit  in  the  people 
they  would  have  made  a  nation  of  themselves. 
There  isn't  any,  and  I'm  not  going  to  slave  my- 
self for  them  any  longer.  No  doubt  they'll  be 
very  well  treated,  and  to  tell  the  truth, .  I  don't 
much  care  if  they  aren't.  After  all,  they're  a 
mongrel  lot. 

"I  know  you'll  be  pleased  to  hear  of  this  ar- 
rangement, as  it  gives  your  old  masters  a  better 
chance  of  getting  their  money,  for,  between  our- 
selves, they'd  never  have  got  it  out  of  me.  At 
the  risk  of  shocking  your  feelings,  I  must  confess 
that  your  revolution  only  postponed  the  day  of 
repudiation. 

"I  hoped  to  have  asked  you  some  day  to  rejoin 
us  here.  As  matters  stand,  I  am  more  likely  to 
come  and  find  you ;  for,  when  released,  Christina 
and  I  are  going  to  bend  our  steps  to  the  States. 
And  we  hope  to  come  soon  There's  a  little  diffi- 


A  DIPLOMATIC  ARRANGEMENT.  181 

culty  outstanding  about  the  terms  on  which  the 
Golden  House  and  my  other  property  are  to  pass 
to  the  new  Government;  this  I  hope  to  com- 
promise by  abating  half  my  claim  in  private,  and 
giving  it  all  up  in  public.  Also  I  have  had  to 
bargain  for  the  recognition  of  Johnny  Carr's 
rights  to  the  Colonel's  goods.  When  all  this  is 
settled  there  will  be  nothing  to  keep  me,  and  I 
shall  leave  here  without  much  reluctance.  The 
first  man  I  shall  come  and  see  will  be  you,  and 
we'll  have  some  frolics  together,  if  my  old  car- 
cass holds  out.  But  the  truth  is,  my  boy,  I'm 
not  the  man  I  was.  I've  put  too  much  steam  on 
all  my  life,  and  I  must  pull  up  now,  or  the  boiler 
will  burst. 

"Christina  sends  her  love.  She  is  as  anxious 
to  see  you  as  I  am.  But  you  must  wait  till  I  am 
dead  to  make  love  to  her. — Ever  your  sincere 
friend, 

"MARCUS  W.  WHITTINGHAM." 

As  I  write,  I  hear  that  the  arrangement  is  to  be 
carried  out.  So  ends  Aureataland's  brief  history 
as  a  nation;  so  ends  the  story  of  her  national 
debt,  more  happily  than  I  ever  thought  it  would. 
I  confess  to  a  tender  recollection  of  the  sunny, 
cheerful,  lazy,  dishonest  little  place,  where  I  spent 
four  such  eventful  years.  Perhaps  I  love  it  be- 
cause my  romance  was  played  there,  as  I  should 


182  A  MAN  OF  MARK. 

love  any  place  where  I  had  seen  the  Signorina. 
For  I  am  not  cured.  I  don't  go  about  moaning 
— I  enjoy  life.  But,  in  spite  of  my  affection  for 
the  President,  hardly  a  day  passes  that  I  don't 
curse  that  accursed  tree-root. 

And  she?  what  does  she  feel? 

I  don't  knew.  I  don't  think  I  ever  did  know. 
But  I  have  had  a  note  from  her,  and  this  is  what 
she  says: 

"Fancy  seeing  old  Jack  again — poor  forsaken 
Jack!  Marcus  is  very  kind  (but  very  ill,  poor 
fellow);  but  I  shall  like  to  see  you,  Jack.  Do 
you  remember  what  I  was  like?  I'm  still  rather 
pretty.  This  is  in  confidence,  Jack.  Marcus 
thinks  you'll  run  away  from  us,  now  we  are  com- 
ing to  town"  (that's  where  I  live).  "But  I 

don't  think  you  will. 

"Please  meet  me  at  the  depot,  Jack,  12:15 
train.  Marcus  is  coming  by  a  later  one,  so  I  shall 
be  desolate  if  you  don't  come.  And  bring  that 
white  rose  with  you.  Unless  you  produce  it,  I 
won't  speak  to  you. 

"CHRISTINA." 

Well,  with  another  man's  wife,  this  is  rather 
embarrassing.  But  a  business  man  can't  leave 
the  place  where  his  business  is  because  a  foolish 
girl  insists  on  coming  there. 


A  DIPLOMATIC  ARRANGEMENT.  183 

And  as  I  am  here,  I  may  as  well  be  civil  and 
go  to  meet  her.  And,  oh,  well!  as  I  happen  to 
have  the  thing,  I  may  as  well  take  it  with  me. 
Jt  can't  do  any  harm. 


THE  END. 


